SCN Publications


The SCN publications are well regarded for reaching out to nutrition practitioners across the world providing the latest information on what is happening in food and nutrition policy and programming. All SCN's publications are available on-line in PDF format.



Reports on the World Nutrition Situation (RWNS)


The Reports on the World Nutrition Situation is a key element of the SCN's work programme. Editions of this SCN flagship publication are disseminated every two to three years. Many regard these as the major contribution of the SCN. The First Report appeared in November 1987, bringing together nutrition information and data scattered across the various agencies. The Second Report appeared in October 1992, the Third in December 1997, and the Fourth in January 2000. The Fifth Report, subtitled Nutrition for Improved Development Outcomes, launched in March 2004, was by far the most analytical report to date. The Sixth Report (forthcoming, 2009) aims to communicate to policy and decision makers the future perspectives of the world food and nutrition situation through 2015, the implications that these hold for achieving international development goals and realizing the right to adequate food, and ways in which things could be improved.

SCN News


SCN News is a periodic review of developments in international nutrition compiled from information available to the SCN. SCN News aims to help the sharing of experience in nutrition. The SCN News has published peer reviewed papers on issues of relevance to nutrition practitioners including updates on SCN member agencies nutrition activities twice a year since 1988. Many developing country researchers and programme managers find the SCN News very useful, as they often do not have easy access to other journals. The focus on policy and programme implications makes the SCN News unique compared to other research oriented nutrition publications. The journal aims to serve as a communication channel for the international nutrition community of practice, highlighting recent developments in policy and programme.

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Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations (NICS)


The Nutrition Information in Crisis Situations (NICS) reports on the nutrition situation of all populations affected by a crisis (such as refugees, displaced and resident populations). Published every three months with a summary of the reports sent by e-mail before the full printed report is posted. The first Refugee Nutrition Information System (RNIS) report began in February 1993, on the recommendation of the Working Group on Nutrition in Emergencies, and has been published every three months since, becoming NICS in 2004. The Report provides an overview of the nutritional situation of populations living in crisis situations, and the methodology and the support for NICS emanates from the Working Group on Nutrition in Emergencies. All the surveys in the NICS database, which is available on the web, are shared voluntarily by the NGO and UN nutrition in emergencies network. All issues are available on-line.

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SCN Nutrition Policy Papers (NPP)


Nutrition Policy Papers are produced to summarize current knowledge on selected topics. The SCN series of Nutrition Policy Papers was started in 1985 and up until 1996 were called State-of-the-Art Reviews. Since 2005, the SCN Nutrition Policy Papers are published in the United Nations University's Food and Nutrition Bulletin (www.foodandnutritionbulletin.org or www.unu.edu/unupress/food/unupress.htm). Electronic copies will continue to be available for download from the SCN website.

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Country Case Studies


The SCN has prepared and published various Country Case Studies, most recently as preparations for the 32nd SCN Session in Brasilia, 2005. the 2005 Country Case Studies carried out in Angola, Brazil, Bolivia and Mozambique focused on how to strengthen national nutrition plans to achieve the MDGs within a human rights based context. These case studies showed it was possible to position food and nutrition within a legal framework and hold governments accountable, and the studies also recalled earlier work by the SCN on Country Case Studies. The 2005 studies represented the first time that country level issues had been brought into mainstream discussions at an SCN Session. The countries signed a joint declaration, of great symbolic importance and a real initiative. Previously, SCN has published Country Case Studies from Brazil, Egypt, India, Tanzania, Indonesia, Zimbabwe and Thailand. 

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Briefs on nutrition


The SCN has produced briefs on nutrition and on the SCN. Posted on the website are "Nutrition: A foundation for development" from 2002 which is a compilation of stand-alone briefs that make the case for integrating nutrition into the work of the development, "Nutrition Impacts of the Global Financial Crisis" from 2009 which includes a 4-pager technical note and a 2-pager advocacy note, and "Brief on the SCN" from 2009 which gives an overview of the SCN. These briefs are designed to facilitate dialogue between nutrition and other development professionals and to give information about the SCN.

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2020 Commission Report


The Final Report to the SCN by the Commission on the Nutrition Challenges of the 21st Century -- Ending Malnutrition by 2020: an Agenda for Change in the Millennium was published in 2000. The Commission stated that we now know what needs to be done and have seen that rapid but sustained improvements in nutrition are possible. It is clear that current international support systems are inadequate. Current UN goals relating to undernutrition are incoherent and unambitious, which is why the Commission was challenging the UN to consider a new goal of ending malnutrition by 2020. This, they believed, is ambitious but achievable and would challenge the UN, national governments and other agencies to implement the various proposals and turn words into action. 

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SCN Mailing Lists


The SCN Mailing Lists dates back to 2007 and is currently being sent on a more or less monthly basis to about 3,000 SCN contacts. It contains news, announcements and updates from the SCN itself as well the SCN network.

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CD-Rom


The SCN has produced CD-Roms to facilitate nutrition and knowledge sharing. The Food and Nutrition Library CD-Rom version 3.1 represent the most updated version of this long time cooperation between the SCN, UNU and the NGO HumanInfo. It contains more than 140 SCN publications as well as publications on nutrition from a range of other organizations.

The Nutrition: A Foundation for Development brief and presentation series is also available on a CD-Rom.

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