From Pledge to Progress: Business Leadership on Nutrition & the Importance of Collaboration

There is good news to share: WBCSD member companies that made Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit commitments in 2021 are well on track to deliver on the majority of their pledges, contributing to healthier and more sustainable food systems. This is the outcome of a preliminary inventory, ahead of the High-Level Private Sector Event that will take place in Paris on March 26th, 2025. 

Making Progress 

The N4G Summit is a critical platform for achieving healthier, more sustainable, and just diets for all. At the Tokyo N4G Summit in 2021, several WBCSD member companies made SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) nutrition-related commitments. The commitments are based on the N4G responsible business pledge framework, developed by the 2021 Business Constituency Group, focusing on different types of actions such as product reformulation, fortification, workforce nutrition, and expanding plant-based offerings. The Global Nutrition Report is monitoring company progress. 

Today, a preliminary inventory of these commitments shows that the vast majority due for the upcoming N4G meeting in Paris have been met, with those set for 2030 well on track. 

Success Stories: Collaboration to Drive Change 

Key progress has been achieved, for example, in the availability of fortified foods, improved nutritional quality, and expanded healthier food options. Companies that openly report both successes and setbacks help build trust and provide valuable insights into systemic barriers. 

Company progress cannot be achieved alone but is the outcome of contributions and collaborations from actors across the value chain, including policymakers and civil society actors. 

Some of the many highlights include: 

More Nutritious Foods: 

• dsm-firmenich  is on track to fulfill its commitment to enable the micronutrient gap of 800 million vulnerable people to be closed by 2030, reaching 620 million people in 2024. Multi-stakeholder collaboration has been essential for achieving this.  
• Griffith Foods achieves the goal of having 56% of all finished goods meeting the criteria for one or more health and nutrition attributes, including fortification, organic, reduction, clean label, or elimination in 2023. The company is now aligning the nutritional profile of its finished goods to external standards that are specific to a given category. 
• Cargill achieves a milestone by becoming the first global supplier whose entire worldwide edible oils portfolio meets the WHO’s best practice standard on industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFAs), limiting iTFA content to no more than two grams per 100 grams of fats/oils, including in countries where there is currently no legislative mandate. 
• Ajinomoto has nearly achieved its 2030 commitment to increase the percentage of products with high nutritional value. Ajinomoto reported that, as of FY23, nearly 57% of its products already meet these criteria, only 3% off its 60% target by 2030. 
• Unilever is on track to meet its goal to double the portfolio delivering more nutritious products with ingredients and nutrients that people are encouraged to consume more of such as fruit and vegetables, fibre, and micronutrients. Unilever is at 52% at end 2023 of the 54% goal by end of 2025. 
• In 2021, ofi has made the public commitment that 100% of its primary workforce will have access to nutrition support by 2030. At baseline in 2021, approximately 25% of primary employees had access to nutrition support. Currently, this has increased to around 70%, which means that ofi is on course to reach its commitment. 

Plant-Forward Diets 

• IKEA has set a target to make 50% of its main meals offered in the restaurants plant-based by 2025. In 2024, 36.4%   of the main meals offered in the restaurants at IKEA stores- operated by the largest franchisee Ingka Group- were plant-based, compared to around 30% in 2023 (percentages are per fiscal year). 
• Google: Since N4G 2021, Google has strengthened its workforce nutrition efforts by joining the Workforce Nutrition Alliance and completing its first annual Nutrition Scorecard. It launched the Plant Forward Kitchen training program, reaching over 931 employees, and updated its Food Choice Architecture Standards to promote healthier, more sustainable options in its global MicroKitchens. 

A Call for Collaboration and Leadership 

WBCSD and its members recognize that better nutrition and dietary shifts are key drivers of food systems transformation. For the 2021 N4G Summit, several of WBCSD’s member companies stepped up and demonstrated that business can be a powerful ally in transforming food systems. At the same time, the work is far from done. 

By championing transparency, celebrating progress, and fostering collaboration, food system actors can build the momentum needed to drive lasting change for our food systems. 

For more information on how your company can take part in the N4G summit, read more here, or contact the WBCSD Healthy and Sustainable Diets team.