Zero Hunger Pledge surpasses 100 companies and welcomes renewed commitments
We are celebrating two major milestones for the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge: surpassing 100 companies joining our global call to end hunger and malnutrition and renewed commitments from some of the first signatories.
These new commitments add nearly USD 200,000 to the initiative.
A renewed commitment
Arla Foods Ingredients, is one of the world’s largest dairy companies a cooperative of approximately 8000 farmers across seven countries, specialised in producing and supplying high-quality dairy ingredients to improve nutritional outcomes. Arla Foods Ingredients joined the Zero Hunger Pledge in 2021, with investments targeting Pakistan.
Once again, Arla Foods Ingredients has partnered with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), one of the Pledge’s technical partners, for the project “Strengthening the Dairy Market in Tanzania”, which aims to scale up innovative dairy solutions that improve nutrition, livelihoods, and climate resilience.
Building on earlier projects in Ethiopia and Pakistan that strengthened the dairy supply chain, the new initiative focuses on Tanzania. With a pledge of USD 157,000, the project will support better incomes for 7,000 farmers (70% of whom are women) through solar milk hubs, provide 128,000 schoolchildren daily access to fortified yoghurt, and enhance sustainability by switching to solar cooling systems.
“Every child deserves access to affordable, nutritious food. Through this fortified yoghurt, we’re proud to support healthier families, local jobs, and a sustainable dairy value chain in Tanzania”, said Charlotte Sørensen, Chief Project Manager at Arla Foods Ingredients.
Welcoming new companies
In addition, a number of companies from across Africa and Asia have recently joined the Pledge.
Jalalabad Frozen Foods Limited, a pledge company from Bangladesh, joins the 11 companies who joined this summer in submitting a commitment to the Pledge worth USD 20,000. The company provides fresh fish, including tilapia preserved in ice, and aims to focus the pledge on investing in infrastructure, regulations, technical assistance, and services to support SMEs in the value chain, in partnership with GAIN’s Workforce Nutrition.
Bobaya Enterprises, from Zambia, is a small poultry enterprise focused on egg production. The company pledges USD 15,000 to expand its bird capacity from 2,000 to 7,000 birds over the next two years, making protein more accessible amid rising costs.
“The Zero Hunger Pledge is a great initiative to show that the world has the capacity to eliminate hunger and malnutrition, and Bobaya Enterprises wants to be part of this movement,” said its co-founder Chilufya Sampa.
BIO Natura GABON, from Gabon, combines bio-fortified, plant-based foods with large-scale, sustainable agroforestry practices, promoting cassava and other tropical crops to strengthen nutrition and food security. The company plans to reforest one million edible native trees annually, restoring biodiversity while providing long-term food sources. Through these efforts, the company pledges to empower 50,000 rural residents living on less than $2 per day by creating jobs in reforestation, collection, transportation, and food processing.
These milestones reflect the enduring appeal of the Zero Hunger Pledge’s mission and demonstrate the private sector’s ability to create positive impact. With innovative projects spanning nutrition, agriculture and sustainable livelihoods, the Pledge is not only expanding in numbers but also in tangible results. Collaboration between businesses, technical partners and local communities can make SDG 2 - Zero Hunger a reality.