The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), EAT, Food & Land Use Coalition (FOLU), and Nutrition Connect have announced the launch of the Dietary Shifts Competition (DISH) 2024, targeting critical malnutrition issues in Kenya and Indonesia. With both nations battling the triple burden of malnutrition—undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies—the competition aims to inspire innovative, evidence-based solutions to promote healthy and sustainable dietary changes.
The statistics underscore the urgency: in Kenya, 23 million people are undernourished, with 18% of children under five stunted, 5% wasted, and 10% underweight. Meanwhile, obesity affects 17% of women and 4% of men aged 20-49. Indonesia faces similar challenges, with 10.9% of adult women and 6.3% of men living with obesity, while 24.4% of children under five are stunted and 11% wasted.
The DISH Competition calls on food system stakeholders in Kenya and Indonesia to submit innovative solutions that align with national health and nutrition recommendations. The competition will identify 15 solutions per country that are already making a difference in local diets. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of GAIN, emphasized the importance of steering daily dietary decisions toward healthier options, stating, “If you have an unusual, innovative, and out-of-the-box idea about how to nudge and steer those decisions towards health, we want to hear from you.”
Participants will collaborate with experts from various sectors, including government, the private sector, and civil society, with the aim of fostering transformative partnerships for systemic change. The solutions should address not only health and nutrition challenges but also local and global environmental and climate issues, aligning with the Planetary Health Diet—a global reference diet developed by the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health in 2019.
Lujain Alqodmani, Chief Action Officer at EAT, highlighted the competition’s importance in promoting sustainable diets, noting, “Shifting towards healthy and sustainable diets…is made possible through the collective expertise, passion, and commitment of local actors.” The DISH platform offers an opportunity for these leaders to implement solutions that protect both human health and the environment.
The competition offers five categories for participation, including Policy and advocacy, Advertisement and culturally-relevant strategies, Food services interventions, Culinary skills, and Product-level interventions. Entrepreneurs, policymakers, chefs, and other food system actors are encouraged to submit their solutions by October 31, 2024.
In addition to recognizing and promoting innovative solutions, the DISH competition provides numerous benefits for finalists. Each will receive an appreciation award of USD 1,000, recognition on global platforms, media coverage, mentorship, and networking opportunities. Finalists will also have the chance to enter Phase 2 in 2025 for further shortlisting and the potential to showcase their solutions at global events.
The competition launches alongside the new DISH Report, which highlights the dietary challenges in Kenya and Indonesia. The report identifies barriers such as poverty, political challenges, limited government support, poor infrastructure, and cultural factors that hinder access to healthy foods. Michael Onchabo, Director at FOLU Kenya, stressed the importance of making small dietary changes for broader impact, stating, “Small shifts in our diets can spark big changes in our food and land use systems, enhancing both our health and the well-being of our planet.”
By addressing these challenges through innovative, locally-tailored solutions, the DISH Competition aims to drive long-lasting dietary shifts that improve health outcomes and support environmental sustainability in Kenya and Indonesia.
