Business-Based Strategies for Improved Nutrition: The Case of Grameen Danone Foods

Abstract

There is increasing interest in the role that businesses can play in promoting the consumption of nutrient-dense foods as part of strategies to reduce the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries. To date, however, there has been little in-depth analysis of the extent to which viable business opportunities exist for nutrient-dense foods in the context of markets catering to communities. Furthermore, whether businesses can deliver sustainable improvements in the nutrition of poor populations at scale is not yet evident. This article examines the case of Grameen Danone Foods Ltd, a social enterprise that specifically aims to bring about improvements in the micronutrient status of poor children in Bangladesh through the sale of fortified yogurt. The article examines the degree to which this business has been successful at establishing a viable market for fortified yogurt amongst poor communities, and the challenges it has faced in trying to achieve this.