The SUN Business Network (SBN) aims to increase the availability and affordability of safe, nutritious foods to consumers, especially low-income consumers through activities at global and national levels. At a national level, the SBN convenes businesses, assesses technical, financial and other business support service needs for members, and advocates the role of business in addressing nutrition at country level. Read More
The SUN Business Network (SBN) aims to increase the availability and affordability of safe, nutritious foods to consumers, especially low-income consumers through activities at global and national levels. At a national level, the SBN convenes businesses, assesses technical, financial and other business support service needs for members, and advocates the role of business in addressing nutrition at country level. At a global level, the SBN acts as a focal point for engaging multinational businesses in nutrition activities such as making workplace nutrition commitments.Read More
The SUN Business Network (SBN) aims to increase the availability and affordability of safe, nutritious foods to consumers, especially low-income consumers through activities at global and national levels. At a national level, the SBN convenes businesses, assesses technical, financial and other business support service needs for members, and advocates the role of business in addressing nutrition at country level.Read More
Emerging networks are in SUN Countries where the government has made a commitment to ending malnutrition through a multi-stakeholder approach and private sector companies have begun to mobilise their support for a multistakeholder, multisectoral approach to improving nutrition. Read More
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The Republic of Kenya joined the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) movement in August 2012 following a letter of commitment from Beth Mugo, the Minister for Public Health and Sanitation. The country officially launched its SUN Business Network (SBN) in 2014, and has since recorded a growing membership of 120 businesses representing a wide variety of industries.
The Global Nutrition Report states that Kenya is on-track to meet four of its nutrition targets. This includes the number of children under the age of five experiencing stunting or wasting, at 26.2% and 4.2% respectively – both under the average rates for the overall Africa region. The amount of infants being exclusively breast-fed in the first five months of their lives has also risen, to 61.4%. In other areas – such as the amount of infants being born with a low weight and women of reproductive age experiencing anaemia – some progress has been made, but more work needs to be done. However, the country shows little to no progress with regard to some other nutrition-focused goals. For instance, 14% of adults in the country are obese (although this figure is lower than the African average), and diabetes affects 12% of the adult population.
In Kenya, the SUN Focal point in the Ministry of Health guides the formation and functioning of six country networks, including the SBN. At a national level, the network is co-convened by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and the World Food Programme (WFP).
It also comprises an independent secretariat with representees from member businesses, the Government, and several United Nations (UN) organisations. This meets once a quarter, and is responsible for:
The SBN Kenya strategy (2019-2023) is aligned with the Kenya Nutrition Action Plan (KNAP 2018-2022), the Vision 2030, the National Policy on Gender and Development 2019, the Kenyan Constitution, and the BIG4 Agenda. It was developed through extensive multi-stakeholder consultations with businesses, including women-owned enterprises and other SUN networks in the country.
The network has a vision of “contributing to the reduction of malnutrition in Kenya”, and a mission to “enable businesses to supply consistent, safe and nutritious foods to consumers in Kenya”. With five strategic pillars as their foundation, the network aims to create partnerships that will support business operations and develop an enabling business environment (focusing on women-owned businesses) through specific intervention areas and key activities. The five pillars are:
SBN Kenya has been engaging in a variety of activities to contribute to the Nutrition Year of Action. For example, it has been supporting network members in participating in high-level Food System Standards (FSS) dialogues. This allowed them to share their thoughts on how food systems can be built stronger, reveal the challenges they face, and analyse ways to overcome these.
Additionally, in partnership with SUN Civil Society Network (CSO), the network engaged with parliament through the Bunge Nutrition Caucus – with representatives demonstrating an appreciation on the importance of investing in nutrition and expressing an interest in helping raise awareness on the topic.
And, during the second National Food Fortification Summit in June, a number of millers committed to scaling up their compliance to food fortification, while premix suppliers committed to improving product quality and supporting industry players.
“The SBN Kenya Network has come a long way to be the current outfit which inspires many. We have managed to bring onboard in their numbers, the SMEs and big businesses engaged in varied nutritious food value chains, and we have seen small innovations grow into major products courtesy of the concerted effort by all stakeholders“
