A SUN Business Network is launched in Lao PDR

On 13 October 2016, the European Union Delegation and World Food Programme hosted a business leaders networking cocktail event to establish the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network at the country level in Lao PDR. Among the attendees were Vice-Minister, Ministry of Health and Chair of the National Nutrition Committee, Assoc. Prof. Dr Phouthone Moungpak, European Union Ambassador to Laos, Leo Faber and WFP Country Director, Ms Sarah Gordon-Gibson.

Nearly 100 representatives from government line agencies, businesses, donors and other development agencies, civil society and academia attended the event held in Vientiane last week.

The main purpose of this Senior Business Leaders Networking event is to have an informal exchange with senior business leaders on how Lao-based companies could do things differently by more actively joining the Government efforts to fight malnutrition based on each partner’s added values and business interests. I sincerely hope that with Lao business joining the government efforts to fight malnutrition we can do it differently and better together,”

Leo Fabe, European Union Ambassador to Laos

In addition to the food sector, the Lao PDR Business Network recognises that other businesses can promote healthy behaviours among their staff for example through appropriate nutrition communication, the creation of mother and child friendly working environments, supporting nutrition sensitive market based research and building nutrition related business capacity in terms of technology and knowledge transfer.

Visit the Lao PDR SUN Business Network Facebook Page

Learn about the event at Open Development Mekong, European Union and Vientiene Times.