In order to accelerate progress on undernutrition reduction we need to understand how the governance of nutrition programmes leads to successful outcomes. Based on evidence from six countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Peru and Zambia, this briefing informs government leaders, policymakers and key stakeholders of the Scaling Up Nutrition movement (1) how they can better mobilise political commitment for undernutrition reduction and (2) how they can facilitate cooperation across national and local institutions, and among nutritionists, civil society and the private sector.

Globally, 180 million infants and young children bear the scars of undernutrition, including failure to grow, frequent illness, brain damage, cognitive impairment,lowerproductivityandagreaterlikelihood of diet-related chronic disease later in life.

The available evidence gives us a glimpse of what works. Increasing economic growth alone is rarely sufficient to address undernutrition. The challenge is to ensure that nutrition interventions are delivered through effective governance systems that privilege cost-effective, transparent and targeted policies in the long run.