Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

From SourceWatch
Jump to navigation Jump to search

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), is "an alliance driven by the vision of a world without malnutrition."[1] With the goal of fighting malnutrition, GAIN works to fortify staple foods with micronutrients in the world's poorest countries. Through their Business Alliance, they also help the largest multinational corporation gain access to the poorest half of the world's population that, together, represent the largest potential for growth for corporations looking for increased sales and new markets.

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, GAIN was founded in 2002 at a Special Session of the UN General Assembly on Children and it became a Swiss foundation in 2003. "GAIN supports public-private partnerships to increase access to the missing nutrients in diets necessary for people, communities and economies to be stronger and healthier." In addition to its headquarters in Geneva, it has an office in Washington D.C. and regional and country representatives in Johannesburg, New Delhi, Cairo, Nairobi, Kabul, and Shanghai.

"In less than a decade, GAIN has been able to scale its operations by investing in and working alongside more than 600 companies across 36 large-scale collaborations in more than 25 countries, reaching close to 400 million people with nutritionally enhanced food products. Half of the beneficiaries are women and children. GAIN’s goal is to reach more than one billion people with fortified foods that have sustainable nutritional impact..."
"GAIN has received funding from a number of public and private sector donors including: the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Dubai Cares, the Goldsmith Foundation, the Government of the Netherlands, the Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation (KZNF), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Wellcome Trust."[2]

In 2009, GAIN launched the Amsterdam Initiative on Malnutrition (AIM), which "aims to eliminate malnutrition for 100 million people in Africa by 2015."[3]

Business Alliance

The GAIN Business Alliance promotes "market-based solutions which address malnutrition." GAIN created the Business Alliance in 2005 "with the goal of mobilizing business to play a greater role in combating malnutrition through engagement in the Base of the Pyramid (BOP) market."[4] In other words, the Business Alliance seeks to convince and help multinational corporations to market nutritionally fortified products to the half of the world's population that lives on less than US$2.50 per day.[5]

Member Benefits

GAIN holds an annual international forum as well as several regional forums each year, offering businesses access to government officials, representatives from international bodies like the World Bank and the United Nations, philanthropists, media, academics, and NGOs.[6] GAIN also directly helps its member corporations "identify opportunities for collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), governments, international organizations (IOs), academia and the nutrition sector."[7] Additionally it provides marketing and logistical research to members to help with "the development of innovative business models that deliver nutritious, affordable products to low income consumers." Last, GAIN provides positive PR for its member corporations via media outreach and awards.

Members

Accessed June 2011: [8]

Management

Accessed June 2011:[9]

Partnership Council

Accessed June 2011:[10]

Ex-Officio members:

Board

Accessed June 2011: [11]

Ex Officio Members:

Contact

  • For visitors: Rue de Vermont 37-39, CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland
  • For mailing: PO Box 55, 1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
  • Ph: +41 22 749 1850
  • Fax: +41 22 749 1851
  • Web: http://www.gainhealth.org

Resources and articles

Related Sourcewatch

References

  1. About GAIN, Accessed June 25, 2011.
  2. About GAIN, Accessed June 25, 2011.
  3. Member Services, Accessed June 25, 2011.
  4. Business Alliance, Accessed June 25, 2011.
  5. Poverty Facts and Stats - Global Issues, Accessed June 25, 2011.
  6. GAIN Insight - Participating Organizations, Accessed June 25, 2011.
  7. Member Services, Accessed June 25, 2011.
  8. Business Alliance Members, Accessed June 25, 2011.
  9. Gain's Senior Management
  10. Partnership Council
  11. Directors, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, accessed June 25, 2011.

External Resources

External Articles