Although the food system faces many challenges today, the private sector can be part of the solution to decrease malnutrition. Industry can play a more integral role in making nutrient-dense food more affordable and available to all populations. On June 11, 2019, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies held a discussion between Dr. Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition and winner of the 2018 World Food Prize, and Kimberly Flowers, Director, Humanitarian Agenda and Global Food Security Project at CSIS, to explore how America's foreign policy can improve global nutrition.
Lawrence begins by explaining the impact of poor nutrition on a baby’s brain, which weighs the equivalent of a bottle of water at birth. By age one, the child’s brain has doubled in weight. This has staggering implications since a child’s future development and its earning potential are greatly affected by the nutrition it receives in these early years. You may be surprised to hear that our brains only ever reach the weight of approximately three water bottles - over half of our brain development happens in that first year.
The discussion focuses on a range of issues, including workplace policies, nutrition in conflict affected states and consumer demand for nutritious foods. This not just about the health of America but why it makes good business sense for America's foreign policy to regulate nutrition policy.
Read the event summary: Why Good Nutrition Makes Cents for Business
Watch the event: Global Nutrition: An Opportunity for U.S. Foreign Policy and Business
