SUN Business Network

The SUN Business Network (SBN), is the private sector platform of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement and aims to support businesses to integrate and improve nutrition within the context of their country’s national nutrition priorities.

Established in 2012 and convened by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), the SUN Business Network (SBN), is the private sector platform of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement and aims to support businesses to integrate and improve nutrition within the context of their country’s national nutrition priorities. The Network serves as a crucial link between the private sector, government, and other stakeholders. It mobilises businesses, especially small, and medium enterprises (SMEs), for collaborative efforts to boost private sector contributions to improved nutrition. Currently, SBN has 21 national networks across Africa and Asia, comprising 1,600 businesses voluntarily signed up as members. The development of national networks is demand-driven, which gives the SBN a ‘bottom-up’ focus and national ownership.

In the current 4-year strategy (2022 – 2025), SBN continues to reduce malnutrition in all its forms by mobilising the private sector in SUN countries to commit to and invest in improved business practices that contribute to national nutrition priorities. This will be achieved by bringing together the private sector, government, and relevant stakeholders to work with and support businesses, especially small and medium enterprises, to take joint and practical actions that shape sustainable local food systems and accelerate contributions to improved nutrition.

Key activities

Convene: foster networking opportunities for businesses to connect, learn, and collaborate on shared nutrition priorities.
Advance: Empower businesses to champion national nutrition priorities by facilitating access to technical assistance, knowledge sharing and funding opportunities.
Amplify: Amplify SME collective voice, advocating for improved policy and regulatory environment for business engagement in national nutrition priorities.

Strategic Priority Areas

Drive Business Action: Businesses in SUN countries sustainably enhance and scale capacity and contributions to nutrition with a focus on safe, healthy, and affordable diets.
Strengthen Business Accountability: National, collaborative mechanisms connect and support businesses to define and track nutrition actions, together with all relevant business and nonbusiness stakeholders, including other SUN Networks.
Improve Enabling Environment: SUN country governments recognisze and enable the positive role of business in reaching nutrition goals, particularly in national nutrition plans, policies, and regulations. Ultimately, this contributes to creating a supportive policy and regulatory environment for business action.