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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In January 2013, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan joined the SUN Movement following a letter of commitment from Muhammed Ayub, the Senior Chief Nutrition, Planning and Development Division in the Prime Minister’s Office. To support the government’s multi-stakeholder efforts, engagement with the private sector began in 2015 with the National Fortification Alliance as a key contributor. Today, with support from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), the World Food Programme (WFP) and other partners, Pakistan’s SUN Business Network continues to grow from strength to strength in new areas and with new partnerships.
Pakistan continues to suffer from high rates of chronic and acute malnutrition. The National Nutrition Survey1(NNS 2011) shows persistently high levels of stunting (low height for age) at 44%, Wasting (low weight for height) 15% and Underweight (low weight for age) 32%. Micronutrient deficiencies for iron, zinc and vitamins A and D deficiency are widespread among preschool children and women of reproductive age; particularly in pregnant women 50.5% of the non-pregnant and 51% of pregnant women are haemoglobin deficient. 19.9% of the total non-pregnant women and 25.9% of the total pregnant women are suffering from iron deficiency anaemia. 43.1% of the non-pregnant and 48.8 % of pregnant women have Vitamin A deficiency while 41.6% of the non-pregnant and 48.3 % of pregnant women are zinc deficient. Deficiency of Vitamin D in Pakistan is widespread with 85.1% of non-pregnant and 86.1% of pregnant women being vitamin D deficient.
SBN Pakistan is governed by Executive Committee (ExCom), comprises of thirteen SUN Business Network members from private sector elect through an inclusive, coordinated, and phased process. Four representatives from the Advisory Group (SUN Focal Point/Chief Nutrition, WFP, NI, and GAIN) are also members of the ExCom. The aim is for businesses to lead and sustain the engagement in SBN, while the advisory group collectively undertake the responsibility to guide and support the ExCom under the overall supervision of National SUN Secretariat
SUN Business Network is the key SUN network at global as well as country level which aims to harness business expertise and apply its strengths and comparative advantages to improve nutrition in the country. It will support and encourage private sector businesses to develop and incorporate combination of nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive interventions in their business operations. It is also expected that SUN Business Network Pakistan would be the principal vehicle for business engagement, both in informing the ongoing policy, advocacy and knowledge sharing agenda and in tracking the commitments program investments of businesses in support of SUN and national nutrition strategies.
In today’s business environment, more and more businesses are recognizing that food and nutrition security is intrinsically linked to business growth, performance, and sustainability. Identifying ways to align the core commercial priorities and investments of a wide spectrum of businesses across many different sectors with national nutrition goals is increasingly important for SUN countries. Major activity focuses on addressing malnutrition through establishing a dialogue between businesses and other development actors in nutrition, developing partnerships and encouraging innovation. Pakistan is one of the priority countries selected by the global SUN Business Network Secretariat for a country level business network.
As part of process, SUN Business Network Pakistan has presented a ‘Business Engagement Strategy’ to the members of SBN in August 2015. It is a roadmap for engaging businesses in improving nutritional outcomes in Pakistan by involving all relevant stakeholders. It also provided guidance to the businesses on policy and strategic environments and outlining strategic development & recommendations in key thematic areas. In 2022 the SBN Strategy 3.0 has been finalized that is aligned with the SUN Movement Strategy 3.0. Both of these strategies are the guiding documents for all country level SBN documents.
The network’s BES broadly covers three areas:
