Unsustainable development, environmental degradation and climate change, volatile markets and governance issues have led to resource scarcity, poverty and food and nutrition insecurity in many regions.   

While almost 1 billion people suffer from under-nutrition, more than a billion adults worldwide were overweight in 2010, and 500 million adults are clinically obese.

Like many women of her generation, Sue was careful to get prenatal care and watch her weight gain as her doctor advised.  In the early 1960s there were no warnings to avoid smoking or alcohol during pregnancy and no information about the potential hazards of environmental chemicals, either for Sue’s own health or the health of her baby.  Now in 2012, new information suggests that some exposures that were not in Sue’s control, including some pesticides and industrial chemicals, may have affected her health and the health of her children.  Nearly all persons in the U.S.

"we are working towards a paradigm shift in recognizing the leadership of women in responding to the climate crisis."  Eleanor Blomstrom (WEDO)

This year the priority theme at the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) has been the empowerment of rural women and their role in poverty and hunger eradication, development and current challenges.

PHI’s proposal for a Sustainable Development (SD) Learning Event on “Integration of food and nutrition security, health and gender in climate resilient-sustainable development” at RIO+20 has been pre-selected by the conference organizers of RIO+20 to be voted on by the general public.

Friday, March 9, was the last day of the fifty-sixth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) which has brought together, in New York, leaders from all over the world working to promote gender equality. The CSW is the principal global policy-making body dedicated exclusively to gender equality and advancement of women.

Today, March 8th, we celebrate International Women's Day; this year’s theme

is Empower Rural Women - End Hunger and Poverty.

The Momentum for Change Initiative launch was one of the most interesting, down to earth events at the COP17 in Durban. The UN's Momentum for Change highlights innovative, replicable, on-the-ground projects that help to mitigate or adapt to climate change, while directly benefiting people.  Momentum for Change will identify and promote these “beacons of opportunity, pointing the direction towards fulfilling the objectives of the [UNFCCC] Convention.”

Event hosted at the African Pavilion, Durban, COP17. This event was co-organized by Public Health Institute, the World Food Programme, UN Standing Committee on Nutrition and Action Against Hunger with the support of the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Bank

Why nutrition and health?

Climate change has an impact on the nutrition security and health of millions of people, particularly poor women and children. The current crisis in the Horn of Africa and famine in Somalia is the result of one of the most severe droughts in 60 years and this can get worse since extreme weather events are getting more frequent and intense as a result of climate change. 

Protection and promotion of nutrition security and health are essential components of climate-resilient and sustainable development. Despite this, nutrition has been largely absent in the climate agenda. In fact this is the only event among more than 200 events at the COP17 that focuses on nutrition.

Along with numerous partners and health sector stakeholders participating in COP17, Public Health Institute has been pushing hard to raise the visibility of the health issues connected to climate change. As we’ve reported here, particular areas of focus have been nutrition and food security, the impact of climate change on women and children around the world, and the potential that women’s leadership could have to create healthier, climate-resilient communities.  

CARE International and the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) are partnering on a side event at UNFCCC COP-17 on November 30, 2011 from 6:30-8pm in the Hex R