Between 2018 and 2021, GAIN conducted research and consultations to assess and improve business accountability in nutrition. In January 2021, GAIN published its latest report "Business Accountability for Better Nutrition" listing concrete ways to improve business accountability by using a number of existing reporting tools to assess business impact on nutrition. The results of this initiative underlined the lack of inclusion and visibility of SMEs in the current business accountability landscape.
To build on the initiative’s results, GAIN reviewed the opportunities and the reasons for better SMEs inclusion in this landscape in a document entitled: "Increasing small and medium enterprises reporting on nutrition in low- and middle-income countries."
The document prioritises the areas to focus on for increased SMEs reporting taking into account: the impact of SMEs from low- and middle-income countries in each nutrition area (see below) and the benefits of increased SMEs reporting for all stakeholder groups. SMEs reporting is expected to be beneficial for better nutrition in the following areas (by order of priority):
- Food safety
- Product (re)formulation
- Food labelling
- Workforce Nutrition
- Food loss and waste
- Marketing to children
The document also calls for multi-stakeholder action to achieve increased SMEs reporting on nutrition which will lead to better data in order to increase the effectiveness of local businesses as well as food systems more broadly.
