The three day activity, marked by a cooking workshop on the third day was facilitated by the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) with support from WFP.
SBNGambia since its launching in 2019 has been able to gather a membership of 43 businesses, organised an inaugural meeting to develop its activity work plan and embarked on a three-day capacity building workshop for its members.
The Network has also created an avenue for businesses to engage with government (NaNA) for technical support in relation to product development that can either directly/indirectly address nutrition priorities in the country.
According to the Coordinator of The Gambia SUN Networks, MrsHaddy Crookes, SBNGambia is inspired by other SUN Business Networks in the region and elsewhere, to be structured into an autonomous platform to attract and engage other businesses to contribute in solving nutrition problems in the country.
Dr. Amat Bah, executive director of the National Nutrition Agency (NaNA) in his remarks during the opening said the network is out to help all Gambians.
He added that to free the country from hunger and all forms of malnutrition, everybody has to be on board.
According to him, one of the most important sectors about food and nutrition is the business sector, but added that most of what we eat and get nutrition from are not what we produce and even if we do there is an intermediary and interlocutor.
Dr. Bah said the country is doing reasonably well with its malnutrition indicators but was quick to add that we still have a long way to go.
He pointed out that children and women especially pregnant women are vulnerable to malnutrition, saying over nutrition is affecting the adult population as a person with diabetes, high bold pressure or cancer is found in almost every home in the country.
He urged participants to ensure the aims and objectives of the network are achieved.
Lamin Drammeh, food technologist at World Food Programme (WFP) said there is a need for collective action to ensure every child, adolescent, mother or family realise their right to food and nutrition for a sustainable society.
He added that to develop profitable, sustainable and innovative business modules require to scale up nutrition globally.
Meanwhile, the Scaling Up Nutrition Movement (SUN) is a global movement established in 2010 that inspires a new way of working collaboratively to end malnutrition in all its forms. It unites people from the Civil Society, United Nations, Donors, Businesses and Academia in a collective effort to improve nutrition. The Gambia as a member of the SUN Global movement has so far coordinated the establishment of 3 national SUN Networks (i.e. SUN Civil Society Network, SUN Academia Network and SUN Business Network).
