ICCO’s model of promoting access to adequate food and strengthening local food systems,  consists of three pillars:
1. support organization of community groups and link them with (local) policymakers,  service providers and private sector actors, ensuring equal participation of women;
2. support small-scale (female) producers to sustainably increase their production and improve their ties with local markets, improving the availability of food at household level and enhancing income.
3. promote good quality and diversified diets, personal hygiene and proper care for infants, young children and mothers, applying contextualized nutrition education and messaging.

FNS programs are implemented in 14 countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, DRC, South Sudan, Uganda, South Africa, Madagascar, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Indonesia, Myanmar, Bolivia.

The actual impact of different sets of interventions (depending on the context, needs, interests and aspirations these could include: promotion of sustainable production, processing, marketing, income generation, safe water, sanitation and nutrition orientation) is closely monitored. For this ICCO applies internationally validated indicators such as the ‘Household Food Insecurity Access Scale’(HFIAS). Lessons learned are used for adaptations and further development of policies and strategies.

 

ICCO teams up with strategic partners such as AIM^B, TNO^C and BoP Inc^D, which provide the opportunity to generate new ideas and potential for leveraging and scaling up intervention strategies as well as inclusive innovation trajectories. The latter include promotion of new nutritious food products and processing mechanisms and strategies for nutrition messaging and behavioral change. ICCO collaborates with strategic partners such as FIAN international and EAA in international networks and that address the underlying causes of food and nutrition insecurity and develop alternative policy options that favor the realization of the right to food

 

[A]Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Article 25: •(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.•(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

[B]Amsterdam Initiative against Malnutrition, a coalition of Private Sector, Research and Civil Society Organizations

[C]TNO is a Dutch semi-governmental research institute, and has a programme on "Innovation for Development"

[D]Base of the Pyramid Innovation Center