| Ending hunger and malnutrition is a critical sustainability goal not only for the country but at the global front. The Philippines has implemented a wide range of food and nutrition security-related orders and ordinances. Nevertheless, numerous policy scholars argue for policy coherence to ensure effective and impactful transformations from these policies. This discussion paper sets out to characterize the local food and nutrition security (FNS) policies in the Philippines; determine the vertical and horizontal policy coherence of these local policies; and map out policy recommendations as we scale up policy coherence for FNS. A total of 252 local food and nutrition policies submitted in the National Nutrition Council database of local ordinances and issuances were reviewed. Key findings include: (1) the local FNS policies are categorized into three substantive areas: nutrition governance, nutrition interventions, and food systems; (2) there is high vertical policy coherence as the majority of local FNS policies are anchored on national and global commitments and policies; (3) there is limited horizontal policy coherence across food systems as most FNS policies target one food system phase, particularly distribution and retail. Policy recommendations include (1) extending the assessment of policy coherence, analyzing the internal coherence (policy impacts, feedback, and trade-offs); and how these policies are affected or affect the impacts of disasters and disruptions to food and nutrition security; (2) exploring the development of a Food and Nutrition Plan and Program; (3) promoting a convergence mindset and building capacities of policymakers and implementers in the FNS framework; and lastly, (4) developing impact metrics and mechanics on how local policy adoption and implementation feeds to achievement of national policies and FNS goals. |