The Private Sector's Role in Global Nutrition

The private sector played a pivotal role in enhancing access to more nutritious foods. Malnutrition, in all its forms, affected every country worldwide. The societal costs were staggering, ranging from poor growth outcomes in undernourished children to the increasing burden of non-communicable diseases. Key questions included what incentives could encourage companies to prioritize the healthiness of their product portfolios and overall food environments, and what role the investor community needed to play in influencing businesses to place greater emphasis on nutrition in their ESG metrics.

Effective policies were vital to incentivize producers to prioritize nutrition and combat worsening nutrition-related issues. These policies had to be coupled with strategies ensuring that nutritious food was accessible and affordable for all consumers. This became particularly crucial as companies might shift focus to lower-income markets in response to stricter regulations on unhealthy foods in Europe. To prevent this, transparency was essential in product portfolios, lobbying efforts, and ESG disclosures related to nutrition.

Investors had a pivotal role to play as well. Poor nutrition resulted in significant financial consequences, including increased healthcare costs and economic burdens. By actively advocating for improved nutrition practices, investors could leverage their influence to drive meaningful change.

Hosted by the Financial Times and the Access To Nutrition initiative, this session brought together leading figures from policy, finance, and the food industry to discuss the materiality of poor nutrition, the economic and societal costs, and effective strategies to enhance access to better nutrition globally. 

Speaking Opportunities

Ana Mugosa
ana.mugosa@ft.com

Delegate Services 

Monica Lu 
monica.lu@ft.com

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