| Description | Documents relating to the social and commercial issues of human nutrition and to the methodology of research in this area and its use for public policy formation and the work of agencies.
Includes published and unpublished reports, academic, discussion and conference papers, articles, book extracts, learning resources relating to the LSHTM Human Nutrition courses and handwritten notes. |
| AdminHistory | The Nutrition Policy Unit was set up in the academic year 1977-1978 as a reaction to the increased involvement of the Human Nutrition Department at LSHTM in nutritional aspects of food planning and the nutritional evaluation of aid proposals. The unit initially consisted of five staff members, two already employed by the school (Payne and Wheeler) and three (Dowler, [Fern] and Thompson) newly funded for the purpose by the Ministry of Overseas Development (ODM, later ODA). Its function was to 'contribute to knowledge and understanding of the nature and dynamics of nutrition problems and of their possible solutions' and it was expected to achieve this through training programmes and workshops, consultancy exchanges, the production of documents and teaching materials and the involvement of staff members in specific country situations.
The unit established links with countries in which food and nutrition were government policy issues, carrying out working visits to countries including Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, Turkey and the Philippines to help governments use statistical data in analysing agricultural, social and health policies. It encouraged initiatives for small farmers and fair price food shops. This work was funded by Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), UNICEF and the Overseas Development Agency (ODA). The unit also arranged training for foreign nationals both at the school and abroad.
Other significant work included an examination of the relationship between indicators of nutritional, social and economic status (focusing on Japan and a group of South East Asian countries); a contribution towards the initial creation and promotion of the "Green Revolution Game" (designed to raise awareness about the effects of technical and environmental factors on the survival of small farmers); agricultural and animal husbandry projects with the FAO and International Livestock Centre for Africa in Mali and collaboration with the Government of India to extend postgraduate nutrition teaching at Indian Agricultural Universities.
Staff of the unit during the 1980s included Dowler, Hariss, Payne, Wheeler and Corbett.
The structural changes within the School planned in 1987-1988 and implemented from 1 August 1988 resulted in the absorption of the unit into the Public Health and Policy department. |