tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6335146197342151188.post4642254545685233768..comments2024-02-29T13:07:00.519+00:00Comments on Development Horizons by Lawrence Haddad: Between Puff and Plunder: The evidence on business and nutritionLawrence Haddadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17265061444076801962noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6335146197342151188.post-42347224320662342012013-06-04T15:38:24.392+01:002013-06-04T15:38:24.392+01:00Lawrence, sorry for my prolonged absence. I wish t...Lawrence, sorry for my prolonged absence. I wish to join the discussions. These multi-stakeholder platforms are a good thing although it seems to me one of their strengths would be the use the 'personalities and spheres of influence' to push for visibility, pride of place and actions on nutrition at all levels.<br /><br />The mistrust between nutritionists and "industry" is an age-old one which does not seem to die away despite an apparent 'softening' on the part of some nutritionists in recent times. It seems to me businesses are looking for opportunities to capitalise on profit-making, rather than investment in human capital as a primary objective. Furthermore some areas of the food and drinks industries have historically used a "nutrition platform" to promote their products, sometimes as "superior" to natural products including mother's milk and FOOD (particularly local foods.<br /><br />The idea of promoting "supplements for example as a solution to nutritional deficiency also raises 'red flags'; with nutritionists (and child health experts). The scientific evidence shows that supplements work best when used for repletion e.g. in micronutrient deficiencies (hidden hunger) or as part of treatment where there is clinical malnutrition. <br /><br />On my part, I want to believe it is possible for business and industry to work successfully with the "nutrition fraternity" by which I mean all the stakeholders and main players in nutrition (from economists, health workers to agriculturists and social scientists and development workers). <br /><br />What is needed is for all parties to recognise a singular objective i.e. to fight together and reduce the burden of under and mal-nutrition, and to draw our collective strengths for this fight. I also am of the view that it is PEOPLE ON THE GROUND WHO WILL SUSTAIN AND ULTIMATELY WIN THE FIGHT AGAINST MALNUTRITION and it seems to me they are left in a lot of these discussions and strategies!<br /><br />Clearly business can support in many ways including capital injection to support innovative and medium to long term strategies which improve food security and enable front line health and nutrition workers to provide 'point of care' support to the weak and vulnerable. Apart from the 'clinical interface', the emphasis on agricultural, economic and preventive/promotive aspects of the "business" is equally important and rather than 'fear that they would 'lose business' industry should see their inputs as an investment for which they will reap benefits with a fitter, better, more educated and healthy workforce, not to talk of partnerships (MDG 8) which will continue to provide business opportunities for companies. <br /><br />At the heart of all this is the key word ETHICS, but I'll leave that for another day. Paul Amunahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05794220769154904182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6335146197342151188.post-1534351867672409042013-05-23T12:47:32.547+01:002013-05-23T12:47:32.547+01:00Good point Richard.. the ATNI Index has been crit...Good point Richard.. the ATNI Index has been criticised for putting companies that are past BMS violators near the top of the list. I think you are right, it is about puff AND plunder, but my point is that it is difficult to figure out which is which at the moment.. bestLawrence Haddadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17265061444076801962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6335146197342151188.post-41291149174278701942013-05-23T09:41:19.448+01:002013-05-23T09:41:19.448+01:00Impact assessment will be useful. But to me, the r...Impact assessment will be useful. But to me, the real issue is not Puff or Plunder but Puff and Plunder. Many companies combine some good support for nutrition actions while continuing at the same time too much of the old business and advertisements as usual. Promoting baby milk substitutes in violation of the WHO/UNICEF code, selling soft fizzy drinks with too much sugar, even promoting processed good foods to people too poor to sensibly afford them. Such issues needs to be brought into the research identifying examples of companies that limit the nutritional downside of all their activities. Richard JollyRichard Jollynoreply@blogger.com