PHA-Exchange> Creation of Alliance for People's Action on Nutrition

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                         APAN

                Alliance for Peoples Action on Nutrition


                       FOUNDING DOCUMENT


Launched at Chennai, India
March 2003 


We from civil society organizations and networks present in Chennai, 
in March 2003, hereby  launch the network APAN - Alliance for Peoples 
Action on Nutrition. This new Alliance is a product of a process of 
parallel and of interwoven international civil society and popular 
organization, in  areas that include food and nutrition generally,, 
breastfeeding,  nutrition of women and children,, agrarian reform and 
access to productive resources,  peasant and small farmers´ 
agriculture, food and nutrition security, public health, food 
sovereignty, sustainable food systems, agro-ecology, sustainable food 
systems and livelihoods,  genetic resources protection and management, 
gender and  human rights, food quality control, consumer protection, 
and fair and equitable trade. We see this initiative as an active part 
of the World Social Forum commitment to build a different society. 
Another world is possible.

Vision


A world in which all are assured the human right 
to adequate food and nutritional well-being

Mission

To build a global network of people’s initiatives, 
in order to realize the human right to adequate food and nutrition

To link and empower organizations dedicated to achieve the vision 
declared here, especially those most in need of information and support

To contribute to the prevention of suffering and premature death from 
food and nutrition related diseases, especially in vulnerable  
populations

To advocate socially responsible public health nutrition policies and 
initiatives, 
in the context of food and nutritional security and human rights 

To hold governments, and finance organizations and profit-oriented 
interests accountable for actions that impact on peoples` nutritional 
well-being


The world as it is now

It is rightly said that the destiny of nations is determined by what 
they eat. Now the stakes are raised even higher. Vast decisions and 
processes outside democratic, social and political control that 
determine global food and nutrition systems, are putting the health, 
well-being  and even the survival of our peoples and the world in 
jeopardy. 

Hundreds of millions of children and adults continue to suffer or die 
as a direct or indirect consequence of preventable food and nutrition 
related diseases and other factors. This is unacceptable and must stop. 

Civil society and people’s organizations and movements have repeatedly 
identified the underlying and basic causes for this at local, national 
and international levels. But so far concrete results have been 
entirely inadequate.

The last two decades have witnessed:

1.	Increased global and national inequities, with only minor and 
patchy reduction in hunger and malnutrition, both in urban and rural 
regions
2.	Undermining and even wrecking of food security systems of 
nation states 
3.	Increased prevalence of nutrition related chronic diseases 
among all socioeconomic sectors 
4.	Weakened national agricultural systems and family agriculture, 
caused by implementation of structural adjustment programmes and trade 
liberalization mechanisms, embedded in WTO agreements
5.	Accelerated environmental degradation, such as deforestation; 
soil depletion; pollution of water resources; climatic changes; and 
reduction in biodiversity.
6.	Damaging of community-based diverse and sustainable food and 
consumption systems including breastfeeding
7.	Increased vulnerability to hunger and malnutrition, especially 
during times of conflict and  natural disasters
8.	Deterioration of agriculture and food systems, in part because 
of the expansion of international fast food chains
9.	Increased risks of new food related diseases as for example, 
mad cow disease; dioxin intoxication.
10.	Reduced investment in promoting national food and nutritional 
security
11.	Reduced capacity and commitment of nation states to invest in 
infrastructure, social policies and services, through  the combination 
of socially unjust economic policies, corrupt and unaccountable 
governments and IMF and World Bank stipulations
12.	Introduction of new technologies that reduce even further the 
competitive capacity of small farmers and which also represent 
potentially disastrous environmental and health hazards 


These damaging changes have happened at the same time as:

1		Unrestricted international flow of capital, whose 
effects include damage to and destabilization of political, economic 
and social structures in countries throughout the world.
2		Hegemonization of the global economy and community 
primarily by US and European based multinational corporate interests;
3		Progressive weakening of international organizations, 
especially the UN system, with non fulfillment of fundamental goals in 
different global fora (environmental and climate protection; hunger 
reduction, among others); 
4		Increased unilateral initiatives both in the political 
and military fronts, with the growing risk of conflicts and widespread 
war

Within this scenario, in the same period, nutrition has lost ground in 
the agendas of the UN agencies and national governments. Nutrition 
goals are also being lost in narrowly focused hunger and poverty 
eradication strategies and sector-wide approaches that ignore the 
intersectoral approach necessary for sustained nutritional well being.

All of this increases our responsibility to guarantee that nutritional 
well-being for all is seen as a fundamental human right, integral to 
sustained human development.

Civil society and people´s movements and organizations know that this 
will only be possible through increasing popular participation at all 
levels. The Alliance proposes to  facilitate this process.

Building a new world

The Alliance intends to work within the understanding that nutritional 
well being is a basic human right of all, and a precise indicator of 
the level of achieved human development and social justice, in any 
given culture or society.

Within that perspective, the Alliance intends to monitor the impact of 
international, national and community level public policies and 
programmes on nutrition, and to incorporate nutrition concerns in all 
of its members´ initiatives at all those levels, within a holistic 
approach.

The promotion of nutritional well being must be guaranteed in the 
context of poverty reduction strategies, but it must go further, to be 
sustainable and equitable. It requires 

	Restructuring of the globalization process (such as equitable 
trade rules; review of the debt issue; democratization and 
strengthening of intergovernmental mechanisms)
	Implementation of integrated national public policies (such as 
agrarian reform, income and job generation, health, education, social 
welfare)
	Increase of the share of power and responsibility of civil 
society organization in their participation at all levels in these 
processes


The Alliance therefore sees as fundamental, the need to combine local 
integrated approaches with linkages to national and global networking 
and advocacy activities. Neither of the two alone will be able to 
address peoples´ needs adequately.

We in the Alliance take the food and nutritional security and life 
cycle frameworks and the human rights based approach, to define our 
strategies. These should be the basis of work with all specific areas 
in nutrition, in order to promote sustainable nutritional well being.

This means working with the reality of human suffering and not with 
mere statistical data; with food as more than a conveyor of nutrients 
but also as a social, cultural and care asset; with health as more than 
the absence of disease, but as the right to achieve the highest 
attainable state of physical, mental and social well-being. 

All this means looking at food, care, and health, from a human rights 
and gender perspective, taking into consideration the interwoven 
specific needs expressed throughout the life cycle. It also requires 
reshaping economic and political power relations, both at national and 
international levels.

The reaffirmation of this holistic approach is expressed in the work 
the organizations and networks involved in the Alliance do in 
protecting, promoting and supporting women’s right to breastfeed; 
agrarian reform; sustainable agriculture and food systems; gender 
equity; traditional food habits; the right to adequate food and 
nutrition; community food and nutritional security; food quality; and 
pressing for a nutrition rights perspective in international trade.

One step forward 

The Alliance does not intend to replace existing networks and 
coalitions. It will build on existing initiatives and actively interact 
with all of them. It will catalyze discussions of nutrition related 
issues, and form an international coalition on the issues, placing them 
high in civil society, governmental and intergovernmental agendas. 

Background

The founder members of the Alliance were or are actors in civil society 
taking part in popular public meeting, networking initiatives and 
preparation and follow-up of different international events, such as:
 
	Adoption of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk 
Substitutes 	(IBFAN, CI, World Health Assembly, Geneva, 1981)
	World  Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)(Rio, 
1992)
	International Conference on Nutrition (Rome, 1992)
	Global Food Security Assembly (Quebec, 1995)
	Popular Coalition to Eradicate Hunger and Poverty (Brussels, 
1995)
	Global Forum on Food Security (Rome, 1996)
	World Food Summit (Rome, 1996) 
	International Congress on Nutrition (Montreal, 1997)
	Global Forum on Food and Nutritional Security (Brasilia, 1997)
	WTO Conference (Seattle, 1999) 
	World Health Organization Executive Board and World Health 
Assemblies 	(Geneva, especially 1999-2003)
	Human right to food civil society movement 
(FIAN/WANAHR/Institute 	Jacques Maritain)(1995-2002)
	People’s Health Movement (Bangladesh , 2000)
	World Social Forum (Porto Alegre, 2001-2003)
	Global Forum on Food Sovereignty (Havana, 2001)
	International Congress of Nutrition (Vienna, 2001)
	World Food Summit (Rome, 2002)
	World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002) 

The UN Standing Committee on Nutrition

The APAN has been created at a meeting of the UN Standing Committee on 
Nutrition (UN SCN). This is not by chance.  

The UN-SCN is a global forum for the discussion of nutrition issues. It 
was central in the organization of the WHO/FAO International Conference 
on Nutrition (ICN) in Rome in 1992, and to the inclusion of the Human 
Rights approach to food and nutrition in the UN Agenda. 

In its strategic plan, the SCN has clarified  its structure and 
function, and the roles of the different sectors that compose it. The 
relevant UN agencies, governments and civil society organizations/NGOs, 
are all represented on the SCN steering committee and its , working 
groups. In this new structure, civil society has three representatives 
on the steering committee, working in rotation. 

Recognizing the relevance of the SCN as the Global Forum for the 
coordination of UN activities on Nutrition, the Alliance establishes it 
as its privileged focus for action at the international level. At the 
same time, the Alliance is independent and will maintain interaction 
with all other relevant intergovernmental bodies whenever necessary to 
guarantee the nutritional well being for all.
Our plans 

In 2003 and 2004 we plan to work to

1	Create the Alliance network

By means such as the following

	Consolidate existing listings of NGOs, civil society 
organizations and popular 	movements involved with nutrition 
issues at international and global level
	Establish communication tools to facilitate the exchange of 
information among 	members of the network, in at least four 
languages (English, French, Spanish 	and Portuguese) using 
discussion lists, a bimonthly electronic bulletin, and an 
	interactive homepage
	Facilitate circulation and discussion of preparatory papers for 
different related 	meetings

2	Strengthen linkages with existing food and nutrition related 
movements

To that end, to work to

	Expand and consolidate the Alliance
	Build closer links with partner international networks and 
coalitions
	Stimulate the creation and consolidation of similar regional 
networks
	Inform Alliance members on the implications of Alliance 
framework 	implementation
	Identify national organizations willing to become national 
Alliance focal points 
	Inform grassroots and national networking initiatives on 
international nutrition 	related issues
	To review, at the end of the period, the structure of the 
Alliance, adjusting it to 	the new reality.


3	Integrate nutrition in the multilateral, bilateral  and 
national agendas

To that end, to work to 

	Support partners in their advocacy activities on nutrition 
issues at national, 	regional and international  meetings
	Introduce specific nutrition content in the Millennium 
Development Goals (UN)
	Promote adoption and effective implementation of guidelines for 
	implementation of the Human Right to Food (FAO)
	Promote advocacy on including the protection of nutritional 
well being from  	possible impact of trade agreements  (WTO)
	Follow up nutrition related issues of the World Summit on 
Sustainable 	Development (WSSD)
	Strengthen implementation of the Global Strategy on Infant and 
Child Feeding.
	Strengthen the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity 
and Health
	Support and strengthen SCN coordinating work
	Stimulate civil society participation in the different SCN 
Working Groups
	Strengthen Southern civil society participation in the SCN 
meetings and working groups
	Elaborate and disseminate contributions of civil society to the 
annual meetings.
	Monitor the implementation of the SCN Strategic plan and 
support civil society representatives´ participation in the SCN 
Steering Committee

4	Launch the World Nutrition Week initiative

To that end, to work to

	Prepare the first World Nutrition Week to be celebrated in the 
week containing World Food Day in 2003, 
	Prepare a statement to be distribute publicly during the 2003 
week highlighting the topic “Not on food alone” 
	Raise funds to translate and publish this statement in at least 
four languages
	Guarantee the annual celebration of the World Nutrition Week in 
the following years

5	Develop a pilot project focusing on child malnutrition 
reduction at community level - “Here no child dies of malnutrition”

To that end, to work to 

	Identify organizations interested in implementing a pilot 
program on the APAN framework implementation at community level;
	Elaborate and seek funding for the pilot project
	Integrate this initiative with local and national programes and 
related UN proposed activities (FAO - Feeding Minds, fighting Hunger, 
Improving Nutrition Programmes, etc); (UNICEF , child rights; 
breastfeeding, etc.)

Structure

	One Secretariat in the South 2003-2004 
	Flavio Luiz Schieck Valente (ABRANDH - Brasil)

	Global steering committee will be composed, in the first phase 
(2003-2004), of thematic focal points in different parts of the world:
	Breastfeeding 
o	Susan Siew (Malasia,WABA)
o	Betty Sterken,  ( Canada, , INFACT /IBFAN)
	Food quality and safety promotion 
o	Hector Villaverde (Peru, CI) 
	Household food security;
o	Don Marques (Philippines, ANGOC)
	Food and nutrition security;
o	Vladimir Sanchez (Bolívia, AIPE;
	Food habits 
o	Chritine Andela (Cameroon - COSADER/COASAD)
	Human right to food and nutrition
o	Uwe Kracht (Italy/Netherlands, WANAHR)
	Health and nutrition 
o	David Sanders (South Africa - PHM)
	Sustainable food systems 
o	Linda Elswick (USA - IPSA)
	Trade liberalization and nutrition 
o	Hans Heijs (Netherlands - ICCO) 
	Food industry control 
o	Geoffrey Cannon  (UK/Brazil)

Initial members 

Africa

Christine Andela, COSADER/COASAD, Cameroon. andelac at yahoo.com

David Sanders, University of the Western Cape, South Africa. 
dsanders at uwc.ac.za *

Isaac O. Akinyele, Food Basket Foundation International, Nigeria 
fbasket at skannet.com.ng 

Joseph Mutuku, Kenya Coalition for Action, Kenya. Joemtuku at yahoo.com

Ruth Oniang´o, Rural Outreach Program, Kenya. oniango at iconnect.co.ke *

Tola Atinmo, Ibadan University, atinmo at skannet.com 

Asia 

Nathanael Don Márquez, ANGOC, Philippines.  angoc at angoc.ngo.ph   

Susan Siew, WABA, Malaysia. secr at waba.po.my

V.B. Rawat - FIAN India - vbrawat at vsnl.com  
 
Latin America 

Albaneide Peixinho, ASBRAN, Brazil. neiocamp at unb.br  

Ana Maria Acevedo, FOVIDA, Peru. aacEVEDO at fovida.org.pe

Flavio Valente, ABRANDH, Brazil. flaviovalente at uol.com.br *

Juan Siancas, CEPAC/AIPE, Bolívia.  juansiancas at hotmail.com

Hector Villaverde, Consumers International, Chile. consint at consint.cl

Dom Mauro Morelli, Associação Beneficiente Paulo VI, Brazil, 
mmorelli at terra.com.br 

Miguel Angel Nuñez, IPSA, Venezuela. manipat56 at hotmail.com

Mirta Crovetto - Colégio de Nutricionstas de Chile, Chile, 
mcrovet at uec.inta.uchile.cl 

Nair Carrasco - CEPREN, Peru, cepren at amauta.rcp.net.pe 

Vladimir Sanchez, AIPE/PROMENU, Bolívia. aipedirector at acelerate.com


North America

Arthur Getz, IPSA, USA. arthur at igc.org

Betty Sterken, INFACT, Canada esterken at infactcanada.ca 

Linda Elswick, IPSA, USA. ipsa at igc.org
 
Patricia Young, US National WFD Committee, USA. patricia.young at fao.org

Peter Mann, WHY/Community Food Security, USA.  peter at worldhungeryear.org
 
Europe

Geoffrey Cannon, World Health Policy Forum, Switzerland. 
geoffreycannon at aol.com

Hans Heijs, ICCO, Netherlands. hans.heijs at icco.nl

Lida Lhotska, Switzerland,  IBFAN, lida.lhotska at gifa.org 

Michael Windfhur, FIAN, Germany. windfuhr at fian.org

Nicole Metz, Netherlands, WEMOS, nicole.metz at wemos.nl

Patti Rundall, Baby Milk Action, UK  prundall at babymilkaction.org 

Tim Lang, London City University, UK. t.lang at city.ac.uk 

Ted Greiner, WABA, Sweeden. ted_greiner at hotmail.com 

Uwe Kracht, WANAHR, Italy. kracht at planet.nl;kracht at flashnet.it


* Civil Society Organization representatives on the UN Standing 
Committee on Nutrition (SCN) steering committee