New tools launched today by The Consumer Goods Forum and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition are driving employer action.
One in three people worldwide suffers from malnutrition today, making it a massive global concern impacting individuals, businesses, and economies alike – in both developing and developed countries. The health impacts of COVID-19 on workforces are bringing heightened concerns to businesses worldwide. In response, employers around the globe are increasingly investing in the nutritional health of their employees, realizing the strong return on investment that comes with a healthy workforce. A new set of innovative digital tools and resources has now been launched to support and guide these leading employers to maximise the benefits to their business and their employees’ wellbeing.
Through the Workforce Nutrition Alliance, its founding partners, The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), have developed new online assessment and planning tools for employers to use in developing or enhancing their workforce nutrition programme. The tools are built on a four-pillar framework that supports: healthy food at work, nutrition education, nutrition health checks and breastfeeding support.
"We are delivering these new tools at an important moment in time – when COVID-19 is threatening the health and wellbeing of workers worldwide. By helping to bring healthier eating to employees at their workplace, we bring in a strategy for scalable success that can reach millions of people worldwide and have a powerful impact on fighting malnutrition globally, while protecting frontline workers and supporting our economies during these uncertain times," said Lawrence Haddad, GAIN Executive Director.
One in three people worldwide suffers from malnutrition today, making it a massive global concern impacting individuals, businesses, and economies alike – in both developing and developed countries.
"At The Consumer Goods Forum, our member companies understand the value of investing in the wellbeing of their employees, including their nutritional health. Through our partnership with GAIN, we are helping them to build better workforce nutrition programmes that ensure a healthy workforce today, and strong competitiveness into the future," said Dr Wai-Chan Chan, CGF Managing Director.
By helping to bring healthier eating to employees at their workplace, we bring in a strategy for scalable success that can reach millions of people worldwide.
Leading companies are now stepping forward to lend their weight to the expansion of workforce nutrition programmes across business sectors. The Workforce Nutrition Alliance has announced today that Olam International has been named a Lighthouse Leader for Nutrition Education in the workforce. Google, Inc has been named a Lighthouse Leader in Healthy Food at Work, and Unilever has been named a Lighthouse Leader in Nutrition Focused Health Checks.
Employers can now visit www.WorkforceNutrition.org to access the free online self-assessment and scorecard tool. The process starts with assessing what an employer is doing now and helps guide them in developing a plan to enhance their programme. The tool can be used by an employer with one or multiple workplaces and enables them to assess their system-wide performance across different workplace types including factories, corporate offices, retail stores and warehouses; and across multiple regions.
The Workforce Nutrition Alliance is also developing an accompanying implementation support programme that will provide employers with access to leading technical experts that can guide them in putting their enhanced workforce nutrition programme into action. The programme will include resource materials as well as online video training courses.
At The Consumer Goods Forum, our member companies understand the value of investing in the wellbeing of their employees, including their nutritional health.
In addition to experts from GAIN and The CGF, the Workforce Nutrition Alliance brings together key expert technical partners available to support employers, including: Access for Nutrition Index (ATNI), Alive and Thrive, BDA Work Ready, Eat Well Global, IGD, Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) Business Network, Scaling up Nutrition (SUN) Movement, and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
The Alliance is also supported by a growing list of leading companies who are actively engaged in advancing workforce nutrition, including: Ajinomoto, A.S. Watson, Bel Group, Google, Grupo Éxito, Mars Incorporated, Migros Ticaret, Olam International and Unilever.