Blog Posts
Aiming for nutrition sovereignty in a post-ODA era
March 24, 2025
AD_BREAD
WP_Term Object
(
[term_id] => 48
[name] => News
[slug] => all-news
[term_group] => 0
[term_taxonomy_id] => 48
[taxonomy] => news-category
[description] => Stay up to date on our announcements, newest projects and partnerships, and news about how we’re making a difference in the lives of people around the world.
[parent] => 0
[count] => 268
[filter] => raw
)
Story
Mobilizing global momentum to end malnutrition at N4G Summit
Nutrition International took part in the 2025 Nutrition for Growth Summit in Paris, France, reaffirming a collective commitment to nutrition alongside key nutrition and development stakeholders from around the globe.
Posted on April 4, 2025
Paris, FRANCE — Nutrition International participated in the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) 2025 Summit in Paris, France from March 27-28, 2025, joining the global nutrition community in a collective effort to accelerate action on malnutrition. Hosted by the French Government, this milestone moment for global nutrition united diverse actors from around the world — including governments, multilateral development banks, international organizations, research institutions, civil society organizations, philanthropies, private sector entities and more — to foster dialogue and drive ambitious financial, and political commitments for nutrition.
Despite overwhelming shifts within the global aid architecture, N4G 2025 reaffirmed global support for nutrition in several key ways:
- Over USD $27B was committed at the summit, exceeding the figures for N4G 2021, despite US withdrawal, and major cuts across many of the traditional bilateral donors.
- Multilateral development banks led the charge at the summit, with the African Development Bank (AfDB), Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank and others all committing to increasing their nutrition and “nutrition-smart” investments.
- Private philanthropies also made significant strides, committing over USD $2B in new funding, with notable contributions from the Children’s Investment Fund, the Gates Foundation and the Bezos Foundation.
- Several Ministers of Finance highlighted the economic case for investing in nutrition, emphasizing the growing positioning of nutrition as a critical driver of human capital and economic growth.
- African leaders presented a strong and united agenda for nutrition action, reaffirming their commitment to continuing their leadership on nutrition despite the withdrawal of traditional donors.
Nutrition International hosted and participated in 11 separate events during and around the summit, with the goal of driving forward critical discussions and deepening collaborations to advance progress on global nutrition. Some of the highlights include:
-
- Unlocking the Potential of Multilateral Development Banks, co-hosted with the ADB, where we announced a new memorandum of understanding between the two organizations.
- To underscore the urgency for smarter, more sustainable and country-led investments in nutrition, Joel Spicer, President and CEO, Nutrition International, participated in a plenary panel discussion on nutrition, financing and accountability.
- Advancing nutrition financing and accountability: A unified African approach, co-hosted with the African Union Commission (AUC) and the AfDB showcased Africa’s leadership in nutrition and reinforced Nutrition International’s partnerships with both institutions.
Mandana Arabi (left), Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Technical Advisor, Nutrition International talks the intersection of climate change, nutrition and public health during our side event with Atlas AI. - The high-level side event, Advancing nutrition to build climate resilience: Applications of AI in public health nutrition programs to reach zero-dose children, examined how vulnerabilities and risks intersect in the areas of nutrition, health, climate change, and emergencies. The event also explored how AI can be harnessed to identify where the most vulnerable children are located.
- The Commitment to action to accelerate anaemia reduction side event, co-hosted with the Anaemia Action Alliance and the AUC, called for scaling up efforts toward reducing the global burden of anaemia and provided insight into the Comprehensive Framework for Anaemia Action and the Strategic Framework for Anaemia Prevention in Africa.
- Nutrition International, UNICEF and the World Health Organization co-hosted,
Alongside the Anaemia Action Alliance and the AUC, we examined the ongoing efforts to reduce global anaemia. Transforming food environments for children, where we introduced our new Principles of Engagement with the ultra-processed food industry (UPFI). The principles establish clear boundaries to guide interactions with the UPFI and advocate for keeping nutrition policy and regulatory spaces free from conflict of interest.
In addition to events, Nutrition International also engaged in multiple meetings with donors and other stakeholders, and was featured in media pieces, including France 24’s People and Profit, Hunger and malnutrition: The cost of inaction and in Devex’s Dish, A dose of hope as Nutrition for Growth exceeds expectations.
As we reflect on the progress made at the N4G 2025 summit, the road ahead is clear. As host of the upcoming G7 Summit in June, Canada, has a critical opportunity to keep nutrition at the forefront of the global agenda, driving sustained action and investment. Another key priority will be continuing to engage Ministers of Finance as the global community transitions from an aid-based model to one focused on investment. These leaders have the power to ensure nutrition is embedded into the development projects they propose to multilateral development banks, unlocking sustainable investments that can transform global health outcomes.
Moreover, with ultra-processed foods now accounting for over 50% of calories consumed in some high-income countries — and low-and middle-income countries on track to follow suit — Nutrition International is working to safeguard the integrity of the nutrition policy space, ensuring the UPFI does not shape nutrition policies or financing programs.
The momentum from N4G must now translate into action. As we move forward, Nutrition International remains committed to collaborating with global partners to make nutrition a cornerstone of global development, creating lasting impact and building a more equitable world for generations to come.
For a full summary of Nutrition International’s participation at the summit, visit our N4G webpage.
Share
Related News