DSM commits to new 2020 nutrition target

Royal DSM will help provide better nutrition interventions to 50 million beneficiaries per year by 2020. Part of the company’s endorsement of the Global Nutrition for Growth Compact, it aims to reach 500 million pregnant and lactating women and children under 2 with effective nutrition interventions by 2020.

“As the world’s leading producer of micronutrients including vitamins, DSM is taking its responsibility to help solve the world’s greatest solvable problem:  malnutrition, affecting 2 billion people across the globe, says Feike Sijbesma, CEO. “With our plans to reach 50 million beneficiaries by 2020 we fully support the Global Nutrition for Growth Compact. We believe investing in nutrition can break the cycle of poverty and build thriving societies and markets. I am proud DSM and its 23,500 employees are able to help tackle malnutrition using our knowledge and expertise through public-private partnerships.”

DSM expects to reach these beneficiaries through its existing public-private partnerships, such as with the World Food Programme, Vitamin Angels and World Vision International as well as advocacy and using its sphere of influence. Earlier this year DSM and WFP announced their intention to increase the number of people who benefit from their work together to 25-30 million per year by 2015, compared to around 15 million today.

Global Nutrition for Growth Compact

The Global Nutrition for Growth Compact, initiated by the governments of the UK and Brazil and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, calls for urgent action to end malnutrition with bold targets and commitments. Addressing nutrition is of critical importance for achieving the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. As a first step, by 2020, signatories to the Compact commit to ensure that at least 500 million pregnant women and children under two are reached with effective nutrition interventions.

The Compact was unveiled at the Off White X Max 97