- 24/04/2026
Adopting food-related policies, governance approaches, and action plans that cut across sectors is key to food systems transformation – but how to do so is not always clear.
This case study examines how policy stakeholders in three African countries were able to adopt food systems thinking, adapt their governance approaches to enable cross-sectoral food systems approaches, and start to move towards action.
- 24/04/2026
Young people are an influential force in food systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, yet their perspectives remain underrepresented in policy and decision-making.
This case study explores how youth leadership programmes can strengthen young people’s understanding of food systems, develop their leadership and communication skills, and enable them to engage meaningfully with stakeholders across multiple levels. It illustrates how experiential learning, peer collaboration, and opportunities for collective action allow youth to influence decision-making, advocate for inclusive reforms, and contribute to sustainable transformation.
The study highlights how positioning young people as active participants in food systems can gain traction and considers how such approaches could be scaled and institutionalised to ensure that youth perspectives are systematically integrated into food system initiatives.
- 24/04/2026
Young people represent a critical yet underutilised force in transforming food systems. This case study examines how youth-led collective action campaigns can serve as a mechanism to amplify youth voices and influence food system
transformation. It shows how young people can engage with decision-makers at both local and national levels to shape agendas, embed inclusivity, and create opportunities for meaningful participation in policy processes. This case underscores how collective action can reposition young people as active agents of change in food system policy and offers insights on how policymakers and stakeholders can support the integration of youth perspectives into formal decision-making structures.
The workplace can be an important environment to influence nutrition and food choices. This case study examines the potential to use workplaces and employers as leverage points for improving nutrition and fostering larger food system shifts by considering efforts made by individual employers in Bangladesh and how these have been expanded and supported under government leadership through the National Workforce Nutrition Alliance. It shows how a novel concept can gain traction and explores how it could potentially be institutionalised in policy.
- 20/04/2026
Many adults spend most of their waking hours at the workplace, making the latter a strategic, yet underappreciated, environment for health and well-being interventions. In the context of food systems, an impactful change that can be fostered through workplaces is improved nutrition through workforce nutrition (WFN) programmes. However, the process of gaining support for such programmes and the potential for having employers lead their design and uptake remain underexamined.
- 08/04/2026
Young people represent a critical yet underutilised force in transforming food systems. By actively engaging youth in transformation processes, they can co-lead initiatives, shape agendas, and influence policymakers to address their priorities and make decision-making more inclusive.
Collective action is a powerful mechanism through which young people organise around shared food systems priorities to generate sustained pressure for policy change while building capacity for long-term engagement in governance processes. However, despite the growing visibility of youth-led movements, the pathways through which young people’s collective voices shape and become institutionalised within national food and nutrition policies remain underexamined, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.
- 08/04/2026
Globally, the youth population is rapidly growing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, where food systems are central to livelihoods and significantly influence nutritional outcomes. Despite this, young people remain underrepresented in food systems policy and decision-making processes.
Addressing this gap requires youth leadership programmes that integrate systems thinking, cross-sectoral collaboration, and experiential learning to better prepare young people for meaningful engagement in food systems transformation. This case study explores how a youth leadership programme implemented in Arusha, Tanzania, enhanced young people’s ability to influence food policy processes, advocate for inclusive reforms, and drive meaningful change in their communities.
- 02/04/2026
In Indonesia, over 98% of households have food budgets sufficient to purchase a healthy diet, yet most allocate a substantial share of their spending to discretionary foods such as fried snacks and sugary drinks. The challenge is therefore not one of financial access to healthy food, but of how existing food budgets are allocated. This paper documents a proof-of-concept pilot in Jakarta that tested whether Indonesia's ubiquitous deep-fried street snacks, gorengan, could be transformed into healthier air-fried alternatives, examining both consumer acceptance and business model viability.
- 30/03/2026
Pakistan produces a wide variety of fruits, yet a significant share is lost due to limited processing capacity, weak value chains, and low value addition. At the same time, many consumers especially children and low-income households lack access to affordable, nutritious snack options. To respond to this challenge, the Nutritious Fruit Bars Initiative was launched in 2024 through a partnership between GAIN, Arla Foods Ingredients (AFI), Pakistan Business Council (PBC), local SMEs, and public-sector stakeholders. The project aimed to convert surplus fruits into nutritious, protein-enriched fruit bars, strengthen local food processors, and demonstrate a sustainable business case that improves nutrition while creating economic opportunities across the value chain.
- 30/03/2026
The Himalayan Foods is a private venture founded by young agriculture graduates from the heart of the Himalayan mountain region. They are driven by a vision to showcase the natural richness of Northern Pakistan through premium, nutritious food products. Rooted in Skardu’s unique agricultural landscape, the company combines traditional knowledge with modern food processing practices to create high-quality, healthy products for an increasingly nutrition-conscious consumer market. Committed to meeting the growing demand for nutritious snacks, The Himalayan Foods produces a range of value-added products including nut-based snack bars under the Himalayan Nut Bar line and organic granola blends marketed as Himalayan Delight. These products are developed using natural and organic ingredients, emphasizing health, wellness, and minimal processing while maintaining international food safety and quality standards. Through its integrated approach linking farmers, sustainable production, and nutrition-focused innovation; The Himalayan Foods represents a new generation of Pakistani SMEs demonstrating how local enterprises can drive economic growth, environmental stewardship, and improved nutrition outcomes simultaneously.
