What the Private Sector Can Contribute To Ending Child Hunger and Undernutrition Roger Shrimpton Secretary, UN Standing Committee on Nutrition Rome February 2007

Outline Why Private Sector Is Important What The Private Sector Can Contribute How the Private Sector Can Contribute

Why Private Sector Is Important // Hunting and /Gathering Farming and Agricultural Food Processing Technologies 4 million years ago 10,000 years ago

Why The Private is Important From wheat, maize and rice and potatoes, food technology creates a vast array of different products. From wheat alone there are more than 1,500 food products Over 80% of the Global Population Rely on Four Staples

Why Private Sector Is Important The world is richer today than ever before in terms of individual accrued wealth. –Since the industrial revolution began the worlds average per capita income has increased nine fold. But we have far greater disparities in the wealth of nations than ever before. –Now the gap is twenty fold between Africa and the USA, the strongest world economy.

Why Private Sector Is Important In "Davos World" non-state actors are becoming more influential –Big corporations are more powerful than most smaller states. –Many rich individuals are richer than most smaller states. State powers becoming more diffuse –Emergence of Chinese and Indian economies –Energy Rich States (Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iran) more powerful

What The Private Sector Can Contribute 1. more nutritious foods and food products 2. New sources of funding, skills, experiences, resources and networks 3. New more sustainable approaches given the limited capacity of many governments

What The Private Sector Can Contribute 1. More nutritious food products Fortification –Deficiencies (scurvy, beri-beri, rickets) common in industrializing societies until fortification introduced –Universal Salt Iodization (10% to 70% in 10 years) Supplementation –iron/folate, vitamin A, zinc, and multiple micronutrient supplements (sprinkles, foodlets) Special foods –Ready to Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) for severe malnutrition

What The Private Sector Can Contribute 2. New sources of funding, skills, experiences, etc Global Alliance from Improved Nutrition (GAIN) –By 2005 had raised US$60 million in core funding and awarded 23 grants worth $38 million to establish 15 national food fortification programs, projected to reach 450 million people over three years, 293 million of whom are at risk of vitamin and mineral deficiencies. –Generated a commitment to invest US$353 million in country fortification programs by the private sector

What The Private Sector Can Contribute 2. New sources of funding, skills, experiences, etc Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation –Endowment of $33 billion –$13.35 billion committed since its inception ($1.55 billion in 2005 alone) Rockefeller Foundation –Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) together with Gates Foundation will begin with a $150 million Clinton Global Initiative (CGI)

What The Private Sector Can Contribute 3. New more sustainable approaches given the limited capacity of many governments –Emphasis on creating local food production for local consumption through small scale farming as poverty reduction efforts –Traditional birth attendants to deliver iron/folate supplements –Local traders to deliver fortified complementary foods

How Private Sector Can Contribute How Private Sector contributes is guided by various Codes of Conduct: 1. Global Compact 2. Other Codes of Conduct 3. The SCN Private Sector Engagement Guidelines

How Private Sector Can Contribute How Private Sector contributes is guided by various Codes of Conduct: 1.Global Compact –is a platform for UN/Business Partnerships and a network. At its core are the Global Compact Office and six UN agencies. –Promotes ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, workplace conditions, the environment and anticorruption through learning, dialogue and partnership activities on the ground. –Participating businesses pledge to implement the principles in their strategy and day to day operations and often seek partnerships with UN organization or others to advance the UN goals, including the MDGs. –Has been criticized because codes of conduct are voluntary and the lack of country level focus

How Private Sector Can Contribute How Private Sector contributes is guided by various Codes of Conduct: 2. Other Codes of Conduct –Report of the UNHCHR on responsibilities of transnational corporations and related business enterprises with regard to human rights (FTSE4Good) –The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes 3. The SCN Private Sector Engagement Guidelines

Conclusions The Private Sector Can Contribute To Ending Child Hunger and Undernutrition We need to increase the engagement with the private sector, but not only through the food and drinks industry We need a broader engagement with the Private Sector, including the foundations such as Rockefeller and Gates, and a much greater buy in to our problem It is not just about the "WHAT" it is also about the "HOW"