Global Alliance For Improved Nutrition

SEE PART III, LINE 1.

LARGE SCALE FOOD FORTIFICATION: PREVENTABLE DEFICIENCIES IN VITAMIN A, D, IRON, IODINE, FOLATE, AND ZINC CONTRIBUTE ROUGHLY ONE MILLION CHILD DEATHS ANNUALLY, AND THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES ARE ALSO HIGH. SINCE 2002, GAIN HAS SUPPORTED THE ROLL-OUT FORTIFICATION IN APPROXIMATELY 30 LOW AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES AS AN APPROACH TO HELP DECREASE MALNUTRITION. THIS SUPPORT HAS HELPED TO BUILD, IMPROVE AND SUSTAIN NATIONAL LARGE-SCALE FOOD FORTIFICATION (LSFF) PROGRAMS. GAIN HAS INVESTED OVER 200 MILLION USD IN FORTIFICATION THROUGH GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. AS A RESULT OF THESE EFFORTS, 14 COUNTRIES HAVE NOW MANDATED LSFF, AND AN ESTIMATED ONE BILLION INDIVIDUALS HAVE SUSTAINED ACCESS TO THESE FORTIFIED FOODS. FORTIFICATION TOOLS DEVELOPED BY GAIN, ALONE OR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDE THE GAIN FORTIFICATION ASSESSMENT COVERAGE TOOL (FACT) AND THE FORTIFICATION MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM OR FORTIFYMIS, AND ARE USED BY MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS IN OVER 20 COUNTRIES. AT COUNTRY LEVEL, GAIN PRIMARILY SUPPORTS MANDATORY FORTIFICATION OF COMMONLY CONSUMED FOOD VEHICLES INCLUDING SALT, EDIBLE OILS, WHEAT FLOUR, MAIZE, FLOUR, AND RICE. GAIN'S NATIONAL-LEVEL TECHNICAL SUPPORT PRIORITIZES BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, GOVERNMENT, AND CIVIL SOCIETY.

ENABLING ENVIRONMENT: THE MAKING MARKETS WORK PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE KEY BARRIERS WHICH PREVENT MARKETS FROM FACILITATING THE CONSUMPTION OF NUTRITIOUS AND SAFE FOODS. GAIN IS CREATING A SERIES OF NEW TOOLS, MODELS AND APPROACHES TO INFORM, GUIDE AND INFLUENCE STAKEHOLDERS TO STEER TOWARDS IMPROVING THE CONSUMPTION OF NUTRITIOUS AND SAFE FOODS. GAIN FOCUSES ON BUILDING DEMAND, SETTING THE POLICY ENVIRONMENT, MOBILIZING KNOWLEDGE, INNOVATION, BUSINESS ACCOUNTABILITY AND ASSESSING IMPACT AND SHARING WHAT WORKS. THE WORK IS DELIVERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A DOZEN IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS INCLUDING CIVIL SOCIETY, BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS, MEDIA, RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADING UNIVERSITIES. IN ADDITION, SINCE 2013, GAIN HAS PARTNERED WITH THE WORLD FOOD PROGRAM (WFP) TO CONVENE THE SCALING UP NUTRITION BUSINESS NETWORK (SBN). THE SBN AIMS TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY OF SAFE, NUTRITIOUS FOODS TO CONSUMERS, ESPECIALLY LOW-INCOME CONSUMERS THROUGH ACTIVITIES AT GLOBAL AND NATIONAL LEVELS. AT A NATIONAL LEVEL, THE SBN CONVENES BUSINESSES, ASSESSES TECHNICAL, FINANCIAL, AND OTHER BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICE NEEDS FOR MEMBERS, AND ADVOCATES THE ROLE OF BUSINESS IN ADDRESSING NUTRITION AT A COUNTRY LEVEL. AT A GLOBAL LEVEL, THE SBN ACTS AS A FOCAL POINT FOR ENGAGING MULTINATIONAL BUSINESSES IN NUTRITION ACTIVITIES SUCH AS MAKING WORKPLACE NUTRITION COMMITMENTS.

BETTER DIETS FOR CHILDREN: FOSTERING HEALTHY DIETS DURING THE FIRST DECADE OF A CHILD'S LIFE CAN REVERBERATE POSITIVELY THROUGHOUT ENTIRE SOCIETIES. HOWEVER, IN LOW-AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES, FEW INFANTS 6-23 MONTHS EAT A MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE DIET, AND WE KNOW LITTLE ABOUT THE DIETS OF OLDER CHILDREN DUE TO DATA GAPS. POOR DIETS CONTRIBUTE TO THE MULTIPLE BURDENS OF MALNUTRITION FACED BY CHILDREN. GAIN'S BETTER DIETS FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM CONNECTS ACTORS ACROSS THE FOOD SYSTEM AND OTHER SECTORS TO IMPROVE FOOD SYSTEMS TO BETTER PROTECT AND CATER TO THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN THROUGH INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRAMS. IN DOING SO, GAIN AIMS TO IMPROVE CHILDREN'S DIETS IN LOW-AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES TO PREVENT THE RISK OF ALL FORMS OF MALNUTRITION AND NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES ENSURING A CHILD'S ADEQUATE DEVELOPMENT. GAIN'S BETTER DIETS FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM GENERATES EVIDENCE AND IMPLEMENTS PROJECTS THAT AIM TO MAKE FOODS FOR CHILDREN MORE NUTRITIOUS, SAFE, AND AFFORDABLE BY PROVIDING SUPPORT TO SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES THAT MANUFACTURE THESE FOODS AND BY IMPROVING THE ENVIRONMENTS WHERE CHILDREN EAT. IN ADDITION, THE PROGRAM AIMS TO HELP CHILDREN AND THEIR CAREGIVERS MAKE BETTER FOOD CHOICES, BY MAKING NUTRITIOUS FOOD MORE AFFORDABLE, AVAILABLE, AND DESIRABLE, AS WELL AS INFLUENCE AND IMPROVE REGULATIONS THAT IMPACT CHILDREN'S DIETS. THE BETTER DIETS FOR CHILDREN PROGRAM TAKES PLACE IN BANGLADESH, ETHIOPIA, INDIA, INDONESIA, MOZAMBIQUE, NIGERIA, RWANDA, AND ZAMBIA.