In response to rising food insecurity and malnutrition exacerbated by climate change, conflict, and economic crises, the Mind the Gap report by the World Food Programme explores the critical role of social protection systems in addressing the affordability gap of nutritious diets. Central to the report is the Fill the Nutrient Gap (FNG), an analytical approach applied in over 50 countries since 2016, which identifies and examines the drivers impacting the availability, cost, and accessibility of nutritious diets within specific contexts and for specific target groups. The FNG methodology provides essential insights for designing interventions to improve diets, especially for nutritionally vulnerable populations.

The webinar delved into the approach and findings from this report, detailing how the FNG methodology was leveraged across 12 diverse national contexts – to identify how the food security and nutrition sensitivity of social protection systems can be enhanced. Specifically examining the cases of Pakistan, Mauritania, and the Dominican Republic - with featured presentations and testimonies from national representatives - the event showcased how the targeted application of the FNG approach in these countries has helped delineate the social protection pathway to addressing the affordability gap for nutritious diets, systematically considering the key dimensions of social protection as outlined by the USP2030 Coalition—coverage, adequacy, comprehensiveness, quality, and responsiveness, as well as sixth dimension “sustainability”—to ensure a robust, rights-based pathway to food and nutrition security. Aimed at facilitating dialogue, participants explored the role of multi-sector collaboration and evidence-based design in enhancing the effectiveness of social protection systems to support food security, diet diversity & nutrition, health, and economic resilience, ultimately emphasizing their critical contribution to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (SDG 2).

Objectives:

• Present the Fill the Nutrient Gap (FNG) methodology, emphasizing its potential role in informing the integration of food security and nutrition objectives within social protection systems through data on food costs, dietary affordability, and socio-economic factors.
• Showcase evidence-based approaches that leverage a wide range of social protection interventions, such as cash-plus transfers (e.g. Mauritania), school feeding programmes (e.g. Burundi), and public works (e.g. Ethiopia) to improve the affordability and availability of nutritious diets in diverse contexts.
• Share country-specific experiences from Pakistan, Mauritania, and the Dominican Republic to illustrate tailored social protection strategies adaptable to varying demographic and geographic needs with a particular focus on nutrition.

Speakers

Saskia de Pee, Senior Nutrition Advisor at the Nutrition & Food Quality Service, WFP

Stephen Devereux, Professorial Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies (IDS)

Dr. Asim Ijaz, Director General of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP), Pakistan

Carla Mejia, Regional Nutrition Advisor, WFP Panama

Moderator: Giulia Baldi, Head of the Social Protection Unit, School Meals and Social Protection Service, WFP

Juan Gonzalo Jaramillo Mejia, Head of Social Protection in Iraq, WFP