Blog – From Commitment to Investment: How Responsible Finance Can Transform Nutrition and Food Systems

As development budgets tighten and nutrition challenges grow, attention is shifting to how private investment can support nutrition outcomes.

At Rome Nutrition Week 2026, a dedicated thematic session “From Commitment to Investment: How Responsible Finance Can Transform Nutrition and Food Systems” brought together governments, investors, businesses, development finance institutions, and international organizations to explore how responsible investment can help close the nutrition financing gap while supporting healthier and more sustainable food systems.

A central takeaway: private sector engagement is no longer a question of whether, but how— grounded in transparency, accountability, and measurable impact.

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Opening the session, Carlos Watson (UN Food Systems Coordination Hub) highlighted that nearly one-third of the world’s population cannot afford a healthy diet, while obesity, micronutrient deficiencies, and diet-related diseases continue to rise.

“The question today is not whether the private sector should be engaged, but how… in ways that are responsible, accountable, and aligned with public health and nutrition goals.”

Nutrition is both a development and economic priority. Investments in nutrition yield significant returns through improved health, education, productivity, and resilience, yet official development assistance is declining. Public resources alone cannot close the financing gap, making cross-sector collaboration essential. Key points included the limits of public funding, the need for long-term partnerships, and the importance of stronger regulation, accountability, and better nutrition data.

Irina Zodrow (SUN Movement Secretariat) emphasized the growing role of private investment in nutrition. While governments increasingly recognize its importance, many lack the tools to align investment with nutrition goals.

“The question is no longer whether we want to engage with the private sector… but what are the key challenges and enabling factors needed to mobilize this investment.”

Initiatives such as the Corporate Accountability Framework and SUN’s emerging Private Sector Strategy aim to strengthen transparency and corporate responsibility. However, engagement must be backed by clear accountability and measurable outcomes.

Countries need practical frameworks to engage investors, stronger collaboration to translate commitments into results, and consistent transparency standards.

Katherine Pittore (Access to Nutrition Initiative) challenged participants to consider how nutrition can become material to business performance. Research suggests that companies with healthier product portfolios can also perform well financially.

“How do we actually get companies and investors to think that nutrition is material to their businesses?”

To strengthen incentives, she highlighted ESG standards, benchmarking, policy frameworks, innovation partnerships, and blended finance. Nutrition must be integrated into reporting frameworks, supported by reliable metrics, and reinforced through stronger incentives to influence corporate behaviour.

Shibani Ghosh (Global Nutrition Report) presented lessons from the Nutrition Accountability Framework (NAF), designed to register, verify, and monitor commitments.

“The process is arduous and is extremely important in supporting private sector accountability.”

Private sector commitments are now assessed using SMART criteria, improving transparency and progress tracking. While accountability has strengthened significantly, consistent reporting remains essential for meaningful results.

Ivan Ivanov (International Finance Corporation) described how nutrition is increasingly integrated into investment decisions.

“Even if you know what healthy food is… if you cannot buy it, you stay outside of the healthy environment.”

He also noted that income growth alone does not guarantee better diets, underscoring the need for complementary nutrition education, particularly for women. Food fortification remains a cost-effective intervention, but broader investment strategies must embed nutrition considerations across the value chain.

Elisa Gomero (Office of the First Lady of El Salvador) shared lessons on creating an enabling investment environment.

“Nutrition is not only a health issue. It is an investment in human capital, productivity, resilience, and sustainable development.”

Key priorities include policy certainty, cross-sector integration, and strong public-private dialogue to build trust and attract investment. Rural investment also remains essential for achieving sustainable nutrition outcomes.

Nicholous Mkisi (Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank) and Darcie Umukundwa (Agri-PDB Platform) highlighted the catalytic role of public development banks.

“Public development banks… are well positioned to mobilize finance for nutrition-sensitive food systems.”

Through guarantees, concessional finance, and technical assistance, these institutions can help attract private capital. However, stronger integration of nutrition into financial frameworks is still needed, along with improved tools and expertise.

Closing the panel, Aime Kwizera (GAIN and the SUN Business Network) highlighted challenges facing nutrition-focused SMEs.

Most of the time, we don’t have an investable idea… to present to financiers.”

Limited investment readiness, financial literacy gaps, and impractical financing terms often prevent SMEs from scaling. Addressing these constraints requires tailored financing products, stronger capacity-building, and improved support for entrepreneurs.

In his closing remarks, Thijs Woudstra (Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Co-Chair of the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development) emphasized stronger alignment between finance, policy, and implementation.

“The message is not simply to do more, but to do differently.”

Public finance must be used strategically to unlock larger investment flows, supported by better data, shared standards, and stronger partnerships.

The session made clear that responsible private sector engagement is not a substitute for public investment but an essential complement. Bridging the nutrition financing gap will require stronger accountability, smarter financial instruments, supportive policy environments, and collaboration across sectors.

Participants agreed that nutrition should be treated not only as a social priority, but as a strategic investment in healthier populations, stronger economies, and more resilient food systems. The challenge now is not securing more commitments but ensuring they translate into meaningful investment and measurable nutrition outcomes.

Cover photo: ©FAO/Giuseppe Carotenuto