Companies in the food and beverage business are increasing their focus on nutrition — not just because it may be good for society, but because it’s imperative for their bottom line.
“Those companies that are not addressing nutrition but are selling food and beverages face massive risk … either through taxation or regulation or litigation or corporate responsibility threats,” Chris Walker, manager of innovative finance at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, said in a video interview with Devex Impact.
It’s also a clear opportunity for businesses to tap into new markets, he noted, citing the example of GAIN’s recent collaboration with an Ecuadorian dairy company to support market research, proper product formulation and business planning to help reduce the barriers of selling to lower-income consumers.
The company found that there was a clear demand and a viable business opportunity in providing fortified yogurt to low-income consumers, Walker said.
Click on the above clip to find out more insights from the GAIN expert about the importance of a focus on nutrition for businesses.
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Feeding Development is an online conversation hosted by Devex in partnership with ACDI/VOCA, Chemonics, Fintrac, GAIN, Nestlé and Tetra Tech to reimagine solutions for a food-secure future from seed and soil to a healthy meal.
About the author
Adva Saldinger@AdvaSal
Adva Saldinger is a Senior Reporter at Devex where she covers development finance, as well as U.S. foreign aid policy. Adva explores the role the private sector and private capital play in development and authors the weekly Devex Invested newsletter bringing the latest news on the role of business and finance in addressing global challenges. A journalist with more than 10 years of experience, she has worked at several newspapers in the U.S. and lived in both Ghana and South Africa.