Nutrient-dense animal-source foods are essential to human development
During critical life phases (during pregnancy and lactation, infancy, and early childhood through adolescence), optimal livestock-derived food consumption safeguards the health, education, nutrition and well-being of women and children, preventing stunting, wasting and premature death
Core message
Actions and Solutions
- Increase awareness of the value of livestock-derived foods for proper nutrition—particularly for pregnant and lactating women, infants and children—through targeted communications that resonate with different cultures and communities.
- Increase women’s ownership of small livestock so they are empowered in different cultural contexts with the income and foods these animals provide, which increase their ability to make dietary and nutrition decisions that benefit infants and children.
- Integrate social marketing and behaviour change strategies within livestock development efforts to ensure that livestock-derived foods are available to people who need them the most.
- Support inclusion of livestock-derived foods in backyard farm and school meal programs that reach women and children.
