Featured Partners
Through innovation, broad distribution networks and insights into market trends, the private sector can have a significant role in addressing many of the barriers that restrict the social and economic development of low-income populations. This panel will showcase how a multilateral bank, a corporate foundation and a global philanthropic network joined forces to discover the untapped potential of private sector solutions in the area of nutrition.
Panelists: Craig Courtney, Director of External Relations, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Switzerland; Vidal Garza Cantú, Director, Fundación FEMSA, México; Luiz Ros, Manager, Opportunities for the Majority Initiative, Inter-American Development Bank
With the objective of identifying the main drivers and roadblocks to increasing private participation in the area of nutrition, the IDB, in partnership with FEMSA and GAIN, launched a comprehensive mapping study of companies and investment opportunities in Latin America in the area of nutrition. The study covered 11 countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Panama, to identify business models with private sector participation that are increasing and accelerating access to high-quality, affordable products that address specific nutritional needs of poor communities. This panel will present the main findings of the study and the hidden potential that was discovered as a result of a yearlong effort.
Panelists: Haroldo Torres, Plano CDE, Brazil; Angel Marcés Ticerán, Inter-American Development Bank, Peru
The private sector in Latin America is increasingly becoming aware of the need to incorporate the poor majority, 70% of the region’s population, into productive value chains that will contribute to developing and delivering quality products and services, create employment, and enable low-income producers and consumers to join the formal economy. The nutrition sector is no exception, so for these models to have a truly transformative impact, companies face the challenge of designing strategies that will efficiently and effectively reach low-income communities with a product offering that satisfies their needs. This panel will present three models that are leading the way in creating profitable solutions that are contributing to addressing malnutrition among poor communities in the region.
Panelists: Juan Manuel Arribas, Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility, ALICORP, Peru; Carla Bartels, Nutrition Manager, Unilever, Brazil; Luiz Flávio Leite Jr, Manager, DSM, Brazil; Moderator: Luiz Ros, Manager, Opportunities for the Majority Initiative, Inter-American Development Bank
Successful development strategies require multisectoral alliances to create maximum effectiveness and the scale needed to reach the base of the socioeconomic pyramid. New pathways need to be built to reach these low income majority markets effectively, including alliances that stand on the capabilities of three main partners: the private sector with its investment resources and skills in innovation and efficiency; the public sector, which plays a critical role in decision and policy making and has a massive reach into low income markets through its social welfare programs; and civil society, which offers sustained commitment to bringing benefits to the majority and developing specialized knowledge. With a mix of representatives from these sectors, this panel will provide a lively discussion about the potential of collaborative efforts in the area of nutrition.
Panelists: Wilfredo Salinas Castro, General Director, National Center for Food and Nutrition, Peru; Manuel Angel Mendoza, General Manager, Un Kilo de Ayuda, Mexico; Celina de Choussy, Executive Director, Libras de Amor, El Salvador; Aldenôra Silva, Pastoral da Criança, Brazil; Moderator: Luciana Aguiar, Plano CDE
Despite the number of challenges faced by small and medium enterprises in the region, these local businesses are often at forefront of innovation in products, market opportunities and distribution networks. The nutrition sector has produced a number of examples in which, with little infrastructure and plenty of creativity, small and medium companies are making a difference in successfully reaching traditionally overlooked majority markets. This panel will showcase three inspiring examples, which will reveal the secret of their success and the challenges and opportunities encountered along the way.
Panelists: Vladimir Zago, President, Zaeli, Brazil; Alvaro Llona, General Manager, ALEMILC, Peru; Daniel Pilares, Marketing Director, Sustentare, Brazil; Moderator: Silvia Cozzolino, ABIA (Brazilian Food Industry Association)
