Nutrition for Growth: Over US$27B in new funding pledged though large gaps remain

At the recent Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit in Paris, France, a total of US$27.55 billion was raised to combat malnutrition. Team Europe pledged €6.5 billion (US$7 billion) and Save the Children pledged US$663 million. Madagascar, Côte d’Ivoire, Guatemala, and Bangladesh also made noteworthy commitments. 

The World Bank and the African Development Bank pledged US$5 billion and US$9.5 billion, respectively, until 2030. Philanthropic organizations said it will raise more than US$2 billion in the coming years. Nutrition International and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) joined forces to boost nutrition security in Asia.

“With global official development assistance for basic nutrition declining, this timely partnership with the ADB offers a beacon of hope that aims to hold the line and scale up investments in nutrition,” comments Joel Spicer, president and CEO of Nutrition International. 

The partnership aims to enhance nutrition impact by prioritizing investments in agriculture, climate change, education, health, and rural development.

Additionally, the Bezos family said it intends to donate up to US$500 million to UNICEF’s Child Nutrition Fund. 

The Global Alliance against Hunger is mobilizing funds and solutions to combat hunger. It aims to improve food systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries with limited funding.

Meanwhile, the European Commission says its investment will benefit partner countries facing high levels of child malnutrition, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. The support will address country-specific needs with a special focus on vulnerable populations in least developed and fragile settings.

The EU’s Global Gateway strategy seeks to help build essential infrastructure, improve access to public services, support local agri-food value chains, and promote sustainable economic growth.

Commissioner for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality, Hadja Lahbib, comments: “Since the first Nutrition for Growth Summit in 2013, the EU has turned bold pledges into bold action, leading the fight against malnutrition.”

Children under five and young pregnant and lactating mothers are most prone to malnutrition.“Today’s pledge is a renewed testament to our unwavering commitment to ensure better nutrition for mothers and children, stronger food systems, and better health and social protection where they are needed most.”

Prioritizing children and mothers

Children under five and young pregnant and lactating mothers are most prone to malnutrition, which is why the EC is prioritizing these groups through global and regional nutrition governance and R&D collaboration.

Save the Children CEO Inger Ashing comments: “I am pleased to announce an ambitious commitment toward ending child malnutrition despite — or indeed in response to — challenges facing aid agencies around the world. We will not abandon children now or in the future, and ending malnutrition in all its forms remains a priority for Save the Children.”

“Save the Children will spend a minimum investment of US$663 million between 2025–2027 to help ensure children survive and thrive, including US$170 million on nutrition-specific interventions.”

Previously, the EU committed €2.5 billion for 2021–2023 at the N4G Summit in Tokyo, with the pledge rising by nearly €1.9 billion (US$2 billion) during this time.

“The EU will continue to lead by example, leaving no one behind. We will work with partners to move closer to a world where every child wakes up nourished, grows strong, and dreams without limits,” adds Lahbib.

One in eleven people suffers from hunger. In Africa, it is one in five.The EC claims that EU investments have significantly improved maternal and child nutrition, reporting that its partner countries are on track to reduce the number of stunted children under five by at least 7 million by 2025.

Dire call for more funding 

Held every four years, the summit faced financial uncertainty after key donors, including the US and the UK, withdrew their pledges. Nutrition Insight previously examined these financial strains, while looking at progress in the private sector and recommendations made by participating organizations.

At the N4G Summit, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, noted: “In July, the second UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake in Addis Ababa must result in tangible commitments — notably financial ones. Only a third of low- and middle-income countries have adequate funding for nutrition.”

“In 2015, world leaders made a pledge to humanity: To eradicate hunger by 2030. Sadly, with less than five years to go, we are far off track. Today, one in eleven people suffers from hunger. In Africa, it is one in five.”

“Among children, malnutrition is a tragedy — and a moral failure. Meanwhile, millions of people struggle with obesity due to a processed diet — high in sugar and saturated fats, but low in essential nutrients.”

A World Bank investment framework for global nutrition stressed that scaling up nutrition interventions requires a US$128 billion investment over ten years.If new funding is not obtained immediately, the UN World Food Programme (WPF) has warned that 58 million people could lose access to life-saving aid in its 28 most important crisis response operations. Despite receiving funding from donors, it says it is experiencing a “steep” financial decline — almost 40% for 2025 compared to last year.

The WPF needs funding for Sudan (US$570 million), Democratic Republic of Congo (US$399), Palestine (US$265 million), Syria (US$140 million), Lebanon (US$162 million), South Sudan (US$281 million), Myanmar (US$60 million), Haiti (US$10 million), and Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin (US$570 million).

A recent World Bank investment framework for global nutrition stressed that scaling up nutrition interventions requires a US$128 billion investment over ten years. This equates to another US$13 billion in aid funding per year globally. Domestic and development funding for nutrition is expected to rise slightly, from US$6.3 billion in 2025 to US$7.9 billion annually by 2034. Still, the World Bank warns that “this will fall far short of the needed financing.”

Meanwhile, the African Development Bank Group approved a US$50 million trust fund to end school-age hunger in Africa.