ECF partnered with the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) to kick off The Global Nutrition and Food Security Reporting Fellowship in 2021, as part of ICFJ's Global Health Crisis Reporting Initiative.​

Amidst an ongoing pandemic and rising malnutrition rates for the first time in decades, the fellowship sought to increase the visibility of malnutrition and food insecurity as a longstanding, yet solvable global health and development issue, to influence news audiences and decision-makers globally.

The program offered journalists an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the drivers of malnutrition, COVID-19’s impacts on global hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity rates, the intersection of malnutrition, gender equity, and climate change, as well as efforts to increase resilience for the most vulnerable populations in a post-pandemic world. It catalyzed in-depth and focused reporting, resulting in storytelling on the issue that is easily understood, simple and relatable. 

At ECF, our team aims to tell stories that frame malnutrition as a solvable issue and lead with forward-looking solutions and outcomes –a spirit and mission which is embodied by ICFJ and the fellowship. While many think malnutrition is too complex to tackle, as a global community, we’ve accomplished far greater. We know that ending malnutrition within our lifetime is possible, with sustained determination, focus, and scale — and critically, stories that shift hearts and minds.

Following a global reporting contest, journalists from Nepal, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Greece, Canada, the US, and more, wrapped up a 4-month long mentorship with ICFJ and released in-depth pieces on topics related to malnutrition and food insecurity. Stories covered the intersection between malnutrition and climate change, breastfeeding for migrant mothers, the rise in insect farming, successes and challenges of school feeding programs, RUTF recovery and relapse, urban ag policy, and the impact of food taboos on malnutrition. 

• Afghan Moms Receive a Fresh Start in the United States, Inter Press Service
• Hope for a Better Yield; Podcast, Darling 107.3 FM & International Center for Investigative Reporting
• Is India’s food security scheme discriminating against Dalits?, Al Jazeera
• Food Taboos: A Powerful and Invisible Driver of Malnutrition, The Africa Brief
• Wasting away: Kenya’s dreadful malnutrition crisis, The Nation
• Feature: Insects, a cheap and sustainable protein alternative for stockfeeds, NewsDay Zimbabwe
• School Feeding Is Now the World’s Largest Social Safety Net, Inter Press Service
• Agriculture Policy is Crucial for Nutrition Security, Science Africa
• Severe Acute Malnutrition: Why Children Relapse After Treatment In Nigeria, Yemen, Daily Trust