The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) has defended its work with the global food industry, saying it is a vital partner in nutrition-changing efforts in the developing world and does not represent a conflict of interest (COI).

Nutrition at the global level has made little progress for decades and today there is a crisis which cannot be addressed if we continue to exclude business, said GAIN spokesperson, Steve Godfrey.

The debate comes as the World Health Organisation (WHO) stated recently that it wanted to know more about the nature of GAINs food industry links before granting it membership of the World Health Assembly.

essential to engage with those who actually produce and distribute foods

Godfrey added with a billion people hungry, 160 million children stunted and 1.4bn people overweight or obese, we need all stakeholders involved if we are going to solve this problem.

It is also important that we have pragmatic and practical approaches in fighting malnutrition, that are based on evidence and results, not preconception. The fact is that the private sector including farmers produce and distribute virtually all the food which poor people consume.

In order to empower poor people to have and make better nutrition choices for their children, it is essential to engage with those who actually produce and distribute foods.

Briefcase NGO?

Pro-breastfeeding lobbyists last week accused the group that counts most of the worlds big food and ingredient companies as members, as a briefcase NGO, saying GAINS philanthropic work enabled commercial opportunities for its members including infant formula makers.

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Nutrition NGO responds to COI attack: We cannot “continue to exclude business”