Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, commonly known as GAIN, is an international nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It was developed during the United Nations General Assembly's 2002 Special Session on Children, at a time when governments and development organizations were seeking scalable responses to persistent child and maternal malnutrition. GAIN's central purpose is to make healthier diets more accessible, affordable and desirable, particularly for people living in low- and middle-income countries. GAIN is not a consumer-food brand or a conventional product company. It operates as a technical, convening and implementation organization. Its work brings together governments, United Nations agencies, civil-society organizations, research institutions, donors and private-sector companies to change food systems. The organization focuses on practical interventions that can operate at scale, including food fortification, biofortification, support for small and medium-sized food enterprises, reduction of post-harvest losses, nutrition-sensitive social protection, workforce nutrition and consumer demand for healthier diets. Food fortification has been one of GAIN's oldest and most prominent areas of activity. Beginning in 2003 with work in China, Morocco, South Africa and Vietnam, GAIN supported the introduction or expansion of large-scale fortification systems in roughly 30 low- and middle-income countries. Its GAIN Premix Facility helps countries and producers procure vitamins, minerals and premix blends at quality and cost levels intended to support national fortification programs. The organization has also supported naturally bred biofortified crops and, in 2019, partnered with HarvestPlus on a commercialization program covering India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania. GAIN also works through its Nutrition Enterprise Unit, which supports food-system businesses and seeks to strengthen the supply of nutritious foods. Its Nutrition Enterprise Development program provides technical assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises, while the Nutritious Food Financing Programme provides debt-oriented investment and technical support to food-value-chain businesses in sub-Saharan Africa. Through the SUN Business Network, co-convened with the World Food Programme, GAIN helps governments mobilize businesses behind national nutrition priorities. The network has convened more than 1,400 business members globally according to the supplied reference material. A further part of GAIN's mandate is global advocacy and coalition building. It launched the Future Fortified campaign in 2011, supports the Scaling Up Nutrition movement, helped establish the 1,000 Days Partnership and contributed to the development of the Access to Nutrition Index. During the COVID-19 pandemic, GAIN participated in the Standing Together for Nutrition consortium and developed initiatives intended to keep food markets functioning and protect nutrition during economic and supply-chain disruption. In 2021, Executive Director Lawrence Haddad chaired Action Track 1 of the United Nations Food Systems Summit and GAIN supported business engagement connected with the Nutrition for Growth Summit. GAIN is funded by public agencies, foundations, international organizations and other partners. Its headquarters in Geneva is complemented by country offices in nations facing significant malnutrition challenges and representative offices in several European countries and the United States. The organization describes its approach as one of collective impact: rather than delivering a single branded product, it seeks to improve the rules, markets, technologies, institutions and partnerships that determine what food is available and consumed. In 2022, GAIN reported that its work had helped an estimated 1.2 billion people gain access to fortified food, though this figure represents program reach rather than individual product purchases.

GAIN emerged from discussions surrounding the United Nations General Assembly's 2002 Special Session on Children. Its creation reflected growing recognition that malnutrition could not be addressed solely through clinical services or emergency food aid; food production, processing, distribution, purchasing power and consumer behavior all influence nutritional outcomes. The organization was established as a nonprofit foundation in Geneva and developed a partnership-oriented model linking public institutions with business, research and civil-society actors. Fortification became GAIN's initial major program area. In 2003, it began supporting national and industry fortification efforts in China, Morocco, South Africa and Vietnam. Over time, the organization extended this work to approximately 30 low- and middle-income countries. Its activities have included policy support, technical standards, quality assurance, supply-chain development and assistance with procurement of vitamin and mineral premixes. The GAIN Premix Facility was created to improve access to reliable, lower-cost fortification inputs for governments and producers. GAIN has also promoted biofortification, in which conventional plant breeding is used to increase the nutrient content of staple crops. A 2019 partnership with HarvestPlus sought to move biofortified crops beyond production and into wider commercial food markets. As GAIN's remit broadened, it developed programs aimed at the businesses and markets that shape food availability. The Nutrition Enterprise Unit supports small and medium-sized enterprises across food value chains, while the Nutrition Enterprise Development program provides capacity-building and technical assistance. The Nutritious Food Financing Programme adds investment support for enterprises in sub-Saharan Africa. These activities reflect GAIN's view that nutritious foods need viable commercial channels, not only public-sector distribution. GAIN has repeatedly used networks and campaigns to make nutrition a larger part of development policy. It launched Future Fortified in 2011 to support maternal and child nutrition. It became involved in the Scaling Up Nutrition movement and, with the World Food Programme, co-convened the SUN Business Network. The network encourages companies to make measurable contributions to national nutrition strategies. GAIN also helped develop the methodology behind the Access to Nutrition Index, an initiative designed to compare the nutrition-related policies and products of food and beverage companies and provide information to investors, policymakers and civil society. The organization established or joined several multi-stakeholder partnerships. The Amsterdam Initiative against Malnutrition brought together public, commercial, academic and civil-society participants to address malnutrition in African markets. The GAIN Nordic Partnership, established in 2014, focused on inclusive business models and dairy-value-chain opportunities in Ethiopia and East Africa. GAIN also supported the 1,000 Days Partnership and other advocacy efforts intended to place nutrition at the center of global health and development agendas. During the COVID-19 crisis, GAIN worked with the Standing Together for Nutrition consortium to assess likely effects on child nutrition and identify mitigation measures. It also supported Keeping Food Markets Working, an effort aimed at maintaining food-system functioning during disruption. Related work addressed nutrition-sensitive social protection, workforce nutrition, gender, environmental pressures, technology and social norms. GAIN's international footprint includes its Geneva headquarters, country offices in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan and Tanzania, and representative offices in Denmark, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. Its governance is overseen by a board of directors, while day-to-day organizational leadership is associated with the executive director. The foundation receives grants and other support from governments, philanthropic foundations, UN agencies and development partners. It remains an active implementation and convening organization rather than a listed company or consumer-goods manufacturer.

• 2021

  United Nations Food Systems Summit and Nutrition for Growth engagement

  [1]Global Alliance for Improved Nutritionen.wikipedia.org

  GAIN participated in major global nutrition and food-systems processes, including leadership of Action Track 1 preparations and business consultations for the Nutrition for Growth Summit.

• 2019

  Biofortified-crop commercialization program launched

  [1]Global Alliance for Improved Nutritionen.wikipedia.org

  GAIN and HarvestPlus began a program to expand commercial use of biofortified staple crops in six Asian and African countries.

• 2014

  GAIN Nordic Partnership established

  [1]Global Alliance for Improved Nutritionen.wikipedia.org

  GAIN and Nordic public, private, academic and civil-society partners formed a platform focused initially on dairy value chains in Ethiopia and East Africa.

• 2013

  Access to Nutrition Index initiative begins

  [1]Global Alliance for Improved Nutritionen.wikipedia.org

  The Access to Nutrition Initiative began developing an index using methodology originally developed by GAIN to assess food and beverage companies' nutrition performance.

• 2011

  Future Fortified launches

  [1]Global Alliance for Improved Nutritionen.wikipedia.org

  GAIN launched a global campaign supporting maternal and child nutrition and broader nutrition advocacy.

• 2009

  GAIN Premix Facility sourcing activity expands

  [1]Global Alliance for Improved Nutritionen.wikipedia.org

  The Premix Facility began the period during which it sourced fortificants and premix blends for programs in multiple countries.

• 2003

  Initial fortification-country programs begin

  [1]Global Alliance for Improved Nutritionen.wikipedia.org

  China, Morocco, South Africa and Vietnam became the first countries supported through GAIN's fortification work.

• 2002

  Organization developed during the UN Special Session on Children

  [1]Global Alliance for Improved Nutritionen.wikipedia.org

  GAIN was developed in connection with the United Nations General Assembly's Special Session on Children and was established to address large-scale nutrition challenges.

A global nutrition-development organization that uses partnerships, market-based interventions, fortification and food-system reform to improve access to safe, nutritious and affordable diets.

• Fortification procurement and technical support · 2009

  GAIN Premix Facility

  A procurement and support mechanism that helps governments, manufacturers and other partners obtain vitamins, minerals and premix blends for large-scale food-fortification programs. The facility is intended to improve product quality, supply reliability and affordability, enabling national programs to fortify staple foods and reach large populations.

• Food-system enterprise support

  Nutrition Enterprise Development

  A program providing technical assistance and capacity development to small and medium-sized enterprises operating in food value chains. Support can address business capabilities, food quality, production, distribution and the development of commercially viable nutritious-food offerings.

• Nutrition finance

  Nutritious Food Financing Programme

  A financing and technical-support program for food-value-chain enterprises, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa. It combines debt-oriented investment through a direct investment fund with assistance intended to help businesses expand access to nutritious foods.

• Business coalition

  SUN Business Network

  A global business network co-convened by GAIN and the World Food Programme. It brings companies into national and international nutrition efforts, encourages public commitments and supports governments seeking private-sector contributions to country-led nutrition strategies.

• Nutrition campaign · 2011

  Future Fortified

  A global campaign launched to improve nutrition for mothers and children. It combines support for nutrition programs with advocacy intended to raise the profile of malnutrition and mobilize resources for scalable interventions.

• Workplace nutrition program

  Workforce Nutrition

  An initiative that works with employers to integrate nutrition improvements into workplace operations and supply chains. Its intended beneficiaries include employees and their dependents, with interventions designed to become part of normal business practice.

• 2020Keeping Food Markets Working

  Global

  A COVID-19 response focused on protecting food-market functioning and limiting disruption to access to nutritious foods.

  Outcome. The initiative formed part of GAIN's wider pandemic response and food-system resilience work.

  Source
• 2014GAIN Nordic Partnership

  Ethiopia · East Africa · Nordic countries

  A multisector partnership intended to develop scalable and inclusive business models that improve food value chains, initially emphasizing dairy in Ethiopia and East Africa.

  Outcome. The partnership created a platform for companies, civil society, academia and public institutions to share knowledge and develop initiatives.

  Source
• 2011Future Fortified

  Global

  A campaign supporting maternal and child nutrition through program support and global nutrition advocacy.

  Outcome. The campaign became one of GAIN's principal public-facing advocacy and fundraising initiatives.

  Source

• 2021

  Deepen engagement with global food-system and nutrition summitsStrategy

  Background

  The COVID-19 pandemic and continuing malnutrition increased attention to food-system resilience, diet quality and accountable nutrition commitments.

  Action taken

  GAIN supported United Nations Food Systems Summit Action Track 1 and business-sector consultations connected with the Nutrition for Growth Summit.

  Aftermath

  GAIN contributed to international commitments concerning safe food access, large-scale fortification and improved diets for lower-income consumers.

  Source

• 2019

  Commercialize biofortified crops with HarvestPlusProduct launch

  Background

  GAIN sought to extend biofortification from crop development into wider food markets and consumer access.

  Action taken

  GAIN partnered with HarvestPlus on a commercialization program covering India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania.

  Aftermath

  The partnership broadened GAIN's portfolio from industrial fortification toward market development for nutrient-dense staple crops.

  Source

• 2003

  Expand into large-scale food fortificationStrategy

  Background

  GAIN identified fortification as a scalable way to increase micronutrient intake through commonly consumed staple foods.

  Action taken

  It began supporting fortification programs in China, Morocco, South Africa and Vietnam and later extended the model to additional countries.

  Aftermath

  Fortification became the organization's longest-running program area and a foundation for later procurement and policy work.

  Source

1. 1Global Alliance for Improved Nutritionen.wikipedia.org
2. 2GAIN official websitegainhealth.org