How Danone and Grameen created jobs and made kids healthier in Bangladesh

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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