Reflecting on ICN2: was it a game changer?

Area of Science:

• Public Health Nutrition
• Global Health Policy
• Food Systems Analysis

Background:

• The Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) in 2014 produced the Rome Declaration on Nutrition and a Framework for Action, aiming to address global malnutrition.
• These documents committed member states to ending malnutrition in all its forms, acknowledging the complexities of modern food systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2), evaluating its process, outcomes, and identifying limitations.
• To assess whether ICN2 could have adopted a more integrated, ecological approach linking diet, health, and sustainability.

Main Methods:

• Critical review of the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2) process and outputs.
• Analysis of the Rome Declaration on Nutrition and Framework for Action for gaps and weaknesses.
• Exploration of alternative approaches, such as an ecological model for diet and nutrition.

Main Results:

• ICN2 generated broad aspirations but lacked the concrete actions and accountability mechanisms needed for significant impact.
• The conference's outcomes suggest a reluctance to foster the necessary collaboration between public health and civil society.
• A more ecological approach, integrating health and sustainability and addressing food corporate power, was not sufficiently adopted.

Conclusions:

• Despite its noble goals, ICN2 is largely viewed as a missed opportunity in advancing public health nutrition.
• Urgent, coherent government policies and multi-actor collaboration are required to reshape economic forces influencing diets.
• Translating aspirations into meaningful action necessitates a stronger commitment to systemic food system transformation and accountability.