Kat Pittore has recently posted a blog asking can the private sector tackle undernutrition for the world’s poorest?

The blog post also includes a new infographic which seeks to show how markets, both formal and informal, work together to bring nutritious foods to poor people- as well as some of the challenges encountered using markets to deliver nutritious foods to the poorest and some potential solutions.

It would be great to get the thoughts and insights of you, your networks, and partners, so please reply or share this tweet:

- Can the private sector tackle #undernutrition? @IDS_UK #NutritionReport @GNReport http://buff.ly/262S1Dq

Dear Vivienne
Thanks for sharing Kat’s blog. I am wondering if there are any other concrete examples of what can be done in the very lowest income settings like South Sudan/CAR etc. It would be great to involve the private sector but this is a mammoth task given the very limited domestic formal markets and the fact that most commodities are imported. There are possibilities in the agriculture value chain in the informal sector and compulsory fortification of imports could be an option. If there are other examples which can be drawn from in similar settings that would be really useful.
Cheers
Mícheál O hIarlaithe

Mícheál O hIarlaithe

Answered:

8 years ago

While I do not know any examples from the poorest countries about using markets, my colleague recently wrote a paper on how to strengthen practices, such as food safety, in the informal market, drawing on lessons from other sectors, which might provide some ideas. His paper can be found here: Improving the Nutritional Quality of Food Markets through the Informal Sector: Lessons from Case Studies in Other Sectors http://www.ids.ac.uk/publication/improving-the-nutritional-quality-of-food-markets-through-the-informal-sector-lessons-from-case-studies-in-other-sectors

Kat Pittore

Answered:

8 years ago

There have been some initiatives involving the private/ corporate sector in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Though this state by itself does not qualify among the poorest states, the initiatives could have some lessons for other contexts. In my opinion what was key was that the Corporate houses were not brought in in isolation- they were included in addition to other stakeholders.The experience is well captured in this document.
Bhagwat, I., S. Sandosham, and V. Ramani. 2014. The Bhavishya Alliance:
A Multisectoral Initiative to Address Undernutrition in Maharashtra.
POSHAN Implementation Note 2. New Delhi, India: International Food Policy
Research Institute.

http://poshan.ifpri.info/files/2014/10/IN002_Bahavishya-Alliance_web.pdf

 

Hope this helps.

Dr Charulatha Banerjee

Answered:

8 years ago

An additional resource on the Maharashtra experience.

On page 25 of this document the Director General of the Nutrition Mission Maharashtra state speaks of the work with the Private sector.

http://scalingupnutrition.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Sun-in-Practice-issue-1.pdf

Dr Charulatha Banerjee

Answered:

8 years ago

SAVE THE DATE - November 14-16, 2016
Nairobi, Kenya

Integrated Nutrition Conference 2016 (INC2016)
Responding with the Private Sector for Greater Nutrition Impact:
Innovate, Integrate, Motivate

Join Catholic Relief Services, global leaders in nutrition, water and sanitation, health and early childhood development, agriculture, gender, and education from academia, other NGOs, the private sector and donor community to share experiences about responding with the private sector for greater nutrition impact. The goal of the conference is to share tools, technologies, business models and multi-sectoral strategies that improve the nutritional health of vulnerable populations.

Everlyn Matiri

Answered:

8 years ago

If the world poorest have schools and housewives I think it is easy and straight forward. Just organize food handling training free of charge for the housewives in borrowed classrooms of the school. Make it weekend training that focuses on reducing food loss and wastage in the household food chain. Recipe innovation, hygiene training all contribute to reducing undernutrition among poor communities

Rabiu Auwalu Yakasai

Answered:

5 years ago
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