On January 13, 2016, SPRING/Bangladesh facilitated a day-long workshop to orient UNICEF Bangladesh to SPRING’s agriculture to nutrition pathways. The event focused both on the theoretical framework and the practical application of using the pathways in programming. The workshop took place on the eve of the dissemination of the country’s National Nutrition Policy, which recognizes the importance of multi-sectoral collaboration and action to improve nutrition. Holding this workshop is another example of SPRING’s efforts to enhance collaboration and coordination in support of nutrition in Bangladesh. SPRING staff from the home office in Washington, DC, as well as on-the-ground staff for SPRING/Bangladesh shared lessons learned and led a lively discussion with the 42 district nutrition support officers, sharing practical experiences in linking agriculture and nutrition in Bangladesh.
The participants were divided into groups to brainstorm ideas on improving use of district coordination forums to engage the agriculture sector and what resources and data are needed to do this. The DNSOs also participated in other group work sessions, where they identified key agriculture and livelihood investments, partners, and actions in their district with the potential to contribute to nutrition. There were also discussions about coming up with strategies for making the multi-sector coordination meeting more agriculture-friendly. Collaborative efforts and access to national efforts, such as these, bring to the fore the importance of engaging all sectors to improve nutritional outcomes in Bangladesh.