Menu
23Mar

SBN explores establishing national networks in donor countries to address malnutrition in SUN Countries

The SUN Business Network (SBN) is exploring the possibility of launching national networks outside of SUN Countries, including ongoing exploratory discussions in Japan. These networks are expected to enable a more effective mobilisation of global companies’ technical expertise to support nutrition issues in emerging markets.

The SBN Global Secretariat aims to tap into the potential of Japan’s private sector for establishing the network, which would serve as a platform for sensitising Japanese companies on the international agenda for nutrition improvement and match the services and technical expertise of the companies with the needs of SBN Country Networks and their members via different channels, including the B2B Technical Assistance programme.

The platform would also function to promote global membership of SBN, which currently includes 25 multinational companies headquartered in 11 non-SUN countries, who have committed to:

  • provide their technical expertise to support members of national SBNs across low- and middle-income countries
  • foster the implementation of workforce nutrition programmes within their companies and for workers in their supply chains
  • support global commitments on nutrition at key summits and conferences, as well as advocating for better business accountability on nutrition.

With a growing number of members of national SBNs in SUN Countries, now reaching more than 850 (mostly SMEs), the SBN Global Secretariat is looking at further increasing its global membership to provide a wider range of technical expertise to businesses in emerging markets, starting in Japan to leverage the momentum of the upcoming Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit, to be held in December 2021 in Tokyo.