There is often a trust deficit when it comes to business being involved in food production, Michael Anderson, CEO of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, told Devex.
One example is the provision of therapeutic food in India for children suffering from acute malnutrition. Though it’s used widely in Africa, the company-produced product made consumers in India nervous. In those situations, it becomes about building trust through government production or NGO production, he said, adding that “there’s no substitute for real conversations.”
The same went for Anderson’s previous work on vaccines, when work became stalled if public health entities and pharmaceutical companies didn’t trust each other. It’s due to efforts of people like Bill Gates, for example, getting stakeholders together in the same room and presenting why an intervention makes business sense or why it makes for a productive partnership, Anderson said, that’s paved the way for progress.
About the author
Kelli Rogers@kellierin
Kelli Rogers has worked as an Associate Editor and Southeast Asia Correspondent for Devex, with a particular focus on gender. Prior to that, she reported on social and environmental issues from Nairobi, Kenya. Kelli holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri, and has reported from more than 20 countries.
