In 2005, when Muhammad Yunus met Franck Riboud, the CEO of Groupe Danone, the world’s largest yogurt maker, Yunus had an idea in mind – creating what he called a ‘social business’ in Bangladesh. And he had a clear idea of what it would do – it would create local jobs and benefits, and it would address malnutrition among Bangladeshi children
In Bangladesh, over 54% of preschool children—some 9.5 million youngsters—are malnourished and deficient in micronutrients, especially vitamin A, iron, iodine and zinc. Shokti Doi yogurt is fortified so it provides 30% of their daily requirement for iron, zinc, vitamin A and iodine and independent tests by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) showed improvements in IQ and growth indicators among children who consumed one yogurt a day for a year.
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