Quarterly Update: SUN Business Network

This Quarterly Update shares the progress made by the SUN Business Network from April – June 2016 which are strengthening their collective efforts in Scaling Up Nutrition. Global Platform The SUN Business Network (SBN) now has 256 business members (48 multinationals, 208 at national level). The team is planning a…

June 27, 2016 - Last update: February 10, 2023

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This Quarterly Update shares the progress made by the SUN Business Network from April – June 2016 which are strengthening their collective efforts in Scaling Up Nutrition.

Global Platform

The SUN Business Network (SBN) now has 256 business members (48 multinationals, 208 at national level). The team is planning a global event at UNGA 2016 with like-minded organisations, such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and Every Woman Every Child, to highlight the contribution of business to nutrition and announce future business commitments.

  • SBN Conflict of Interest (CoI) work: In April, the SBN global team held a working session with the SUN Movement Secretariat to identify ways to strengthen stewardship arrangements at global and country levels and articulate a plan to develop CoI guidance and tools for SUN countries. New requirements for CoI will be developed for SBN Advisory Group members, strengthening accountability and transparency. The global team will also work with national SBNs to adapt global CoI guidance to local contexts and embed CoI mechanisms into national SBN workstreams.

In SUN Countries

  • SBN Nigeria: On 21st April, SBN Nigeria launched its membership platform, with 95 attendees from business, government, civil society and donors. 21 members having joined the platform. Nigeria is developing two priority workstreams: consumer awareness & demand creation; plus nutrition in the agriculture value chain.
  • SBN Tanzania: SBN Tanzania was invited by the Government to sit on the steering committee for the development of its National Multi-sectoral Nutrition Action Plan (NMNAP). In April, SBN Tanzania convened more than 20 businesses and other key stakeholders to feedback on the 5 year action plan.
  • In May, SBN presented findings from their report ‘Strengthening food fortification in Tanzania’ to key stakeholders including the National Food Fortification Alliance & Tanzanian Food & Nutrition Council. SBN Tanzania will be sharing findings from consumer research on attitudes towards and awareness of food fortification, as conducted by AC Neilsen, as well as its food fortification workplan on June 28th, following GAIN’s FACT dissemination that same day.
  • SBN Pakistan: In March, SBN Pakistan shared its business engagement strategy and announced the formation of the private sector-led Executive Committee to its 33 business members and other stakeholders including government officials and policy makers. The SBN Engagement strategy features thematic areas of: fortification; Agriculture; Diet Diversity & Children’s Feeding Practices and WASH.
  • Other SBN country activities: The SBN Global team has been providing support to a number of SUN countries wishing to establish private sector networks, Countries include: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Malawi, Myanmar and Zimbabwe.  Additionally, two regionally consultancies are underway in Asia and West Africa to identify priority countries within each region where SBNs could be established as well as to develop regional SBN strategies.

Upcoming Events

Date Activity
25-27th June 2016 Tanzania Trade Fair: SBN Tanzania will have a stand at the annual Tanzania Trade Fair, raising awareness of SBN and the role of business in addressing malnutrition. Member companies will also feature at the event showcasing their work to improve malnutrition
28th June 2016 SBN Tanzania  workshop to disseminate consumer insight research findings on food fortification and to share an updated SBN Tanzania food fortification work-plan based on insights from SBN commissioned work.
July 2016, TBC SBN Nigeria: SBN Nigeria in collaboration with Ipsos Healthcare will host a workshop on consumer insight in Nigeria. The workshop will provide attendees with tools on how to use market data and consumer insight to improve nutrition in Nigeria
20th September 2016 SBN Advisory Group meeting followed by high-level business and nutrition event at co-hosted by SBN/GAIN, WFP and EWEC

 

Details

SUN Global Support System
SUN Business Network