“It is not just about getting children enough to eat; it is above all about getting them the right food to eat.’’
- Henrietta Fore, Former Executive Director of UNICEF
In a small health centre nestled in north-western Vietnam, 1-year-old Yêu sits with her bright, sparkling eyes and rosy cheeks. She carefully nibbles on a blend of peanuts, sugar, and milk powder – a nutrient-packed mixture known as ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF). To a casual observer, it might look like candy. But for Yêu, this is lifesaving medicine, prescribed three times a day to help her recover from severe wasting, the deadliest form of childhood malnutrition where a child is too thin for their height.
Her journey to this moment has been anything but easy. Her devoted parents, who gave her everything they had to eat, missed several days of work to care for her. They crossed rugged mountain paths to reach this clinic, desperate to save their child.
Yêu’s story is heartbreakingly common. Millions of children suffer from malnutrition driven by poverty, which robs families of access to nutritious food. The problem is compounded by preventable infections that thrive where vaccines are scarce and clean water is a luxury.
The ask: We call on Canada to #FeedOurFuture by committing $750 million in nutrition-specific funding over five years, at the Paris Nutrition for Growth Summit in March 2025.
Between 2000 and 2020, child mortality fell by 50%, largely thanks to vaccines. Vaccines prevented children from succumbing to infectious diseases and also made them healthier and stronger, enabling them to fight off malnutrition. Innovation also played a key role in making nutrients more accessible through fortified foods (where additional nutrients are added), vitamins, and effective agricultural methods. But it is the steady and increased international aid that allowed these solutions to reach children like Yêu, transforming their lives and providing hope for a healthier future.
As climate change and conflict worsen malnutrition, Canada can make a vital impact by funding high-impact, nutrition-specific interventions. Early prevention, detection, and treatment can save millions of lives, while nutrition services in emergencies limit long-term harm to children’s development.
Examples of effective interventions:
Canada has a long history of leadership in nutrition:
global efforts to tackle malnutrition
In 2012, the world came together by setting targets to reduce malnutrition by 2025. As the deadline approaches most targets remain out of reach, leaving 148 million children stunted, 45 million wasted, and nearly half of child deaths under five linked to malnutrition.
Meeting Sustainable Development Goal 2 to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030 requires an estimated USD$ 176 billion—far less than the USD$ 761 billion annual cost of undernutrition to the global economy. We need to ramp up progress on malnutrition now and thankfully there is an opportunity on the horizon.
Every four years, the Nutrition for Growth Summit provides a platform for countries, companies and organizations to make financial and policy commitments to fight malnutrition. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau must take this opportunity to make a new bold pledge to combat malnutrition. This commitment should include resources for the Child Nutrition Fund, the first mechanism to focus on helping affected countries increase their resources to combat malnutrition and scale up the most effective solutions. A strong pledge will reaffirm Canada’s position as a global nutrition champion and will also encourage other countries to invest in ending this crisis.
Malnutrition is tragic because it is entirely preventable, with proven solutions already at our disposal. It is only with political will and adequate funding that we can end it and help ensure everyone can reach their potential.
The ask: We call on Canada to #FeedOurFuture by committing CAD$ 750 million in nutrition-specific funding over five years, at the Paris Nutrition for Growth Summit in March 2025.
latest campaign news
#ForOurFuture:
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By equipping healthcare workers and empowering mothers in low- and middle-income countries, Canadian organizations are transforming lives and building stronger, healthier communities.
Read more here.
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Jahanar lives in Tongi, north of Dhaka. She is 7 months pregnant and has no access to a nutritious diet. However, like many of her colleagues at the garment factory, she still has to work. Before she started taking Multiple Micronutrient Supplements, she regularly experienced anemia symptoms and her child's life was at risk.
December 1: World AIDS Day
December 5: December celebration call
December 5: International Volunteer Day
December 10: Human Rights Day
December 20: International Human Solidarity Day
December 27: International Day of Epidemic Preparedness
Check out our full key dates calendar.
Nutrition
Malnutrition
Stunting
Wasting
Anemia
Children
#FeedOurFuture
#ReachEveryChild
#Nutrition4Growth
#N4G
#cdnpoli
As the year comes to a close, your Member of Parliament (MP) is getting ready to head home to their families for the holidays. Send your MP your best wishes for the winter holidays and introduce them to our #FeedOurFuture campaign. Tell your MP why you care about making sure children worldwide have nutritious food and how the Canadian government can step-up by committing $750 million in nutrition-specific funding over five years, at the Paris Nutrition for Growth Summit in March 2025. Be sure to attach this graphic!
On the postcard, write in your own words why you believe Canada should invest $750 million in global nutrition at the Paris Nutrition for Growth Summit in 2025. If you’ve been in touch with your MP this year, thank them for their involvement and support.
Don’t know who your MP is? Type your postal code on the House of Commons website to find out how to contact them!
Remember to use the EPIC model to help draft your postcard, and don’t be afraid to make it personal, connecting domestic experience to our global advocacy! This is a critical opportunity to remind you MP and the Prime Minister that Canadians care about global issues and that need to step up for nutrition!
Use your postal code on the House of Commons website to find out who your MP is, and their contact information, such as their email address.
See all our resources to help you write your MP, along with key dates, hashtags, tags and keywords found on our call-to-action page. If you need additional help with this action, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at action@resultscanada.ca.
Whatever you celebrate this December and winter break, many of us will share a tasty, lively dinner with our loved ones.
While the holiday season is often associated with abundance, it can be the perfect opportunity to remind Canadians and policymakers of the urgent need to support those who have too little. Writing a letter to the editor (LTE) is a straightforward and impactful way to call for Canada to increase funding for high-impact nutrition programs that save lives and support sustainable development.
This isn’t just about generosity; it’s about global responsibility. Your words can help drive attention to the solutions already within reach. Let’s ensure Canada steps up to make a real difference—one that lasts for many holidays to come.
Be sure to send your LTE to your local community papers for the best chance of being published! Refer to past volunteer LTEs but don’t fall into the trap of copying other people’s styles.
Volunteers on average spend 1-2 hours researching and planning, 30 minutes writing their draft and 15 minutes submitting it to newspapers.
See all our resources to help you write your LTE, along with key dates, hashtags, tags and keywords found on our call-to-action page.
Raise awareness of the importance of addressing global malnutrition crisis and children’s well-being Click on the link below to instantly share this post on X/Twitter or copy and paste the text and image below on other social media platforms.
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🌟 Canada, your leadership is needed now more than ever! 🌟
Worldwide, half of all child deaths under 5 are linked to malnutrition. But by implementing the most effective solutions, Canada could contribute to the prevention of 6.2 million cases of infant mortality and 980,000 stillbirths in the next decade.
Together, we can make a lasting impact by investing in nutrition. By committing $750M in nutrition-specific funding at the 2025 Paris #NutritionForGrowth Summit 2025, we can help #FeedOurFuture and #ReachEveryChild with the nutrition they need to thrive. 🌍💚
Let’s build a healthier, brighter future for all! 💪
Take action with me and spread the word to inspire action!: https://bit.ly/Results-Canada-take-action 🗣️✨
@JustinTrudeau @ResultsCda #cdnpoli
