GAIN - Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition


Climate change, Covid-19, conflicts are reversing progress on malnutrition, underlining the growing urgency to transform food systems to tackle human development and planetary needs. Switzerland supports GAIN’s activities with governments, businesses, civil society and partners to ensure consistent access to affordable, safe, nutritious and sustainable food for healthier diets, in particular for the most vulnerable, through more inclusive policies and regulations, effective markets and innovative financing.

Country/region Topic Period Budget
Africa
Global
Agriculture & food security
Employment & economic development
Health
Food security policy
SME development
Non-communicable diseases
Household food security
Basic nutrition
Food safety and quality
01.01.2023 - 31.12.2027
CHF  10’300’000
Background Due to the pandemic, conflicts, climate change as well as high energy and food costs, all forms of malnutrition and hunger have worsened significantly since 2019, reversing a decade of progress. One in three people worldwide is malnourished. Since the UN Food Systems Summit, there is growing recognition that food systems need to change to reverse these trends and reach the Sustainable Development Goals. Transforming food systems to ensure healthier diets from sustainable food systems accessible to all people, and especially the most vulnerable to environmental and economic shocks, requires contributions of all stakeholders. Governments, including sub-national representatives, need support to align policies across sectors to create healthier and more inclusive food environments for low- and middleincome consumers, in particular for women and youth. The private sector needs to be mobilized to bring to domestic markets more diversified nutritious food produced sustainably and SMEs need to be better financed. Insights, innovations and best practices from improved national food systems need to be widely shared at global level and adapted for replication.
Objectives To improve nutrition outcomes for the most vulnerable populations, in particular women and youth, in low- and middle-income countries, in particular in Sub Saharan Africa, through improved and more inclusive policy and market-based solutions in the food system.
Target groups

Direct beneficiaries:

Governments (including at sub-national levels such as cities), civil society associations (of consumers, women, youth), SMEs in low- and middle-income countries.

Ultimate beneficiaries:

Poor and marginalized people in low- and middle- income countries, in particular women and youth.

Medium-term outcomes

-    Consumption of safe, healthy, affordable, nutritious food produced in an environmentally sustainable way has improved in 10 countries because their national Food System Pathways have been implemented in a more inclusive and participatory way by empowering in particular women, youth, low- and middle income consumers and by engaging with the private sector.

-    SMEs in the nutrition sector for domestic consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa have better access to finance thanks to an innovative debtfund. 

-    Data, evidence, guidance and innovative best practices on food systems transformation are available and shared globally with countries, with public and private financing mechanisms and various stakeholders for stronger learning and accountability.

Results

Expected results:  

-    Policy alignment diagnostic tool for food systems developed and applied in 10 countries; 

-    Diet quality indicators used in 10 countries; 

-    Youth regularly part of formal policy decision making processes in 3-4 countries, via schools and other platforms;

-    5 diagnostic briefs on the potential of existing social protection programmes to foster healthier diets and become more gender sensitive; 

-    1 landscape paper views of development finance institutions on opportunities and risks involved in developing nutritious food windows for SMEs;

-    3 reports on most effective environmental innovations in 3 countries on 3 priority value chains, and how 1 was selected;

-    Up to USD 245 million loans reaching 70-80 SMEs producing nutritious food, which in turn would serve >10 million end-clients (among them 1 million additional low income consumers) over 10 years


Results from previous phases:  

-    Promoted business accountability with Responsible Business Pledge for Nutrition together with major private sector networks (WBCSD, SUN Business Network), Nutrition Business Monitor for SMEs.

-    Stimulated public-private engagement on nutritious foods with Enabling Business to Advance Nutrition Index in 30 countries.

-    Piloted campaigns to foster demand for nutritious foods in Bangladesh, Kenya and Nigeria.

-    Supported innovations in nutritious food supply showcased on Innovative Food System Solution Portal.

-    Mobilized data and knowledge on public-private space to develop food systems dashboard, establishment of Nutrition Connect platform.

-    Assessed impact of market-based interventions with universities.


Directorate/federal office responsible SDC
Project partners Contract partner
Private sector
Swiss Non-profit Organisation
  • Other Swiss Non-profit Organisation
  • Foreign private sector North
  • Swiss Private Sector


Other partners

GAIN - Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

Incofin Inclusive Finance Fund S.A (Nutritious Food Financing Facility sub-fund) 

Coordination with other projects and actors

SDC thematic section food systems and health:

UN Food System Summit Follow-up system;

Global RECAP Promoting healthy diet and physical activity (WHO/IDLO);

Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement;

Global Diet Quality Project;

Nutrition in City Ecosystems;

Urban Governance for Health;

Crops for Healthy Diets;

Human Rights in Food Systems;

Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and other multilateral / multistakeholders policy dialogue platforms;

ACELI; SSNUP; ABC Fund

Sub-Saharan Africa:

Impact Linked Finance Fund for Eastern and Southern Africa;

BUILD Fund

Budget Current phase Swiss budget CHF    10’300’000 Swiss disbursement to date CHF    6’344’500
Project phases Phase 2 01.01.2023 - 31.12.2027   (Current phase) Phase 1 01.12.2018 - 31.12.2021   (Completed)