Food Systems, Environments, Nutrition: a Structured Evidence Framework (FoodSENSE Framework) Application in Masaka District, Central Uganda

There is an increasing recognition that achieving food security and good nutrition requires coordinated multisectoral action. The causes of malnutrition are multifaceted and often interlinked. To improve food security, a good understanding of the different dimensions in the food system and food environment is important to prioritize intervention points. The concept of the “food system” has become an organizing narrative in recent years, with UN agencies and national governments developing food systems action plans. There is however a gap at finer-grained spatial levels: there are few guidelines on how to implement food systems thinking at the more local levels, guiding local decision making.

This report presents the implementation for the first time of the Food Systems, Environments, and Nutrition: Structured Evidence Framework (FoodSENSE Framework). The framework is designed to be used at sub-national levels, guiding the description of the food system, food environment, food security and nutritional outcomes. Through application of the framework and a stakeholder engagement process, constraints to improving food and nutrition security can be identified and prioritized, groups of people requiring specific support identified, and potential solutions shortlisted.

The main issues contained within the framework are illustrated in Figure S1. Information is collected from secondary sources such as household surveys and from primary sources including focus group discussions, key informant interviews; and from stakeholder evaluations during a workshop. Information is synthesized into a standardized reporting format, and issues prioritized through a consultative process. An excel-based tool is used to match challenges with potential food and nutrition-related interventions, which are then put to stakeholders for evaluation. A clear chain of evidence is thus presented for each intervention.