Alan Berg (global nutrition advocate)

Alan Berg
Deputy Director of the Food for Peace program (White House/Department of State)
In office
1962–1965
Deputy Director of the Population and Nutrition Projects Department of World Bank
In office
1972–1995
Personal details
Born (1932-02-18) February 18, 1932 (age 92)
Dayton, Ohio, U.S.
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Alan D. Berg (born February 18, 1932) is an American former civil servant and nutritionist.[1] He is recognized as an international development authority, most notable for his advocacy and large-scale implementation of programs to address malnutrition, particularly among children and pregnant women.[2] His work spans over half a century and has garnered him wide recognition for instigating a new policy approach to international nutrition assistance.[3]

Berg's contributions to the field of nutrition have had a significant impact on the way development agencies and governments approach the issue of malnutrition as a fundamental component of economic growth. His methods and approach, particularly during 23-year tenure as the senior nutrition officer at the World Bank from 1972 to 1995, have been widely adopted by other organizations and countries. Additionally, Berg's work has led to an increased focus on nutrition policy, planning, and implementation in academic training programs for nutritionists, creating new opportunities for graduates in this field.[4][5]

In 1997, a survey of the international nutrition community found that Berg was the most-cited role model for newcomers to the field.[6][7] His contributions to the field were further acknowledged in 2008, when he was honored by the United Nations Standing Committee on Nutrition as one of the first recipients of the United Nations Achievement Award for Lifelong Service to Nutrition, with the committee describing him as a "global giant in nutrition history".[4][8]

  1. ^ Crittenden, Ann (September 11, 1975). "Baby Formula Sales in Third World Criticized". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
  2. ^ Levinson, James (2013). "Vital to the Creation: Interview with Alan Berg". Development. 56 (24): 27. doi:10.1057/dev.2013.1. S2CID 86517498.
  3. ^ Society of Nutrition Education (1992). Remarks: Voices Who Have Changed Nutrition Award. 1992 Annual Meeting, Philadelphia.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ a b Greiner, Ted (December 31, 2022). "A tribute to Alan Berg". World Nutrition. 13 (4): 2–4. doi:10.26596/wn.20221342-4. ISSN 2041-9775. S2CID 255371006.
  5. ^ "Sliding toward nutrition malpractice: time to reconsider and redeploy (originally presented as the Fourth Annual Martin J. Forman Memorial Lecture, June 24, 1991)". American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 57: 3–7. 1992.
  6. ^ Society of Nutrition Education (September 1997). How Are We Doing in International Nutrition? Describing a survey conducted for and reported in the Tenth Annual Martin J. Forman Memorial Lecture. Cairo.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ In her autobiography, Liberian President and Nobel Prize Winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf credits Berg for her success in shepherding her first project through the World Bank's top management and Executive Directors.Sirleaf, Ellen Johnson (2009). This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President. Harper/Harper Collins. pp. 78–79. ISBN 9780061353475.
  8. ^ United Nations Standing Committee on Nutrition (March 2008). Report of the Thirty-Fifth Session. Hanoi.