The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the United Nations in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with governments, businesses, and civil society, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious foods for all people, especially the most vulnerable.

Background

GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition) is dedicated to improving the consumption of nutritious foods for all, especially the most vulnerable ones. The Workforce Nutrition project is one of the projects implemented in Ethiopia, which focuses on improving the health and well-being of workers in industrial parks through collaborating with the employers, government partners and private sector to make nutritious food available to the vulnerable workers.

Industrial parks in Ethiopia, including those in Hawassa, Adama, and Bole Lemi, play a pivotal role in the country’s economic growth. These parks are designed to attract investment, foster industrialization, and provide employment opportunities. However, workers in these parks often face challenges related to nutritious food access, impacting their health and productivity.

Workers in these industrial parks frequently encounter difficulties accessing a diverse range of nutritious food options. The limited presence of affordable and high-quality food vendors within or near the parks exacerbates this issue. Additionally, due to market dynamics and supply chain constraints, nutritious food items can be priced out of reach for many workers, leading to suboptimal dietary choices. The existing food retail infrastructure within these industrial parks often fails to meet the needs of the workforce, resulting in reduced access to essential nutrients.

Establishing Fair Price Shops (FPSs) within the industrial parks of Hawassa, Adama, and Bole Lemi is one of the GAIN’s Workforce Nutrition project strategies to address these challenges. The primary objectives of this initiative are to enhance access to nutritious food by providing workers with convenient access to a variety of healthy options, improve food affordability by offering nutritious foods at prices that are affordable for workers, and promote nutritious food consumption.