Max Foundation

Roughly 600 million people fall ill from unsafe food each year. Nearly all of it is preventable.

This World Food Safety Day, the world is moving "from burden to solutions." Here's one of ours: the entrepreneurs pictured sell safe, nutritious food in their own communities — proof that strong local markets are a health intervention, not just an economic one.

We combine evidence, market systems and an integrated approach to WASH and nutrition, so safe food reaches the families who need it most.

Read more on our approach to food and nutrition security → https://maxfoundation.org/our-focus/food-and-nutrition/

Health extension workers in Ethiopia regularly advise families on how to prepare nutritious complementary food for infants and young children. Yet in many communities, the ingredients required are not always easily available — or not in forms that are feasible for caregivers.

In one rural kebele, a local shop owner began producing and selling complementary food after recognising this gap. By sourcing ingredients and preparing the product locally, she created a reliable point of access within her community.

This is not simply a story about one entrepreneur. It illustrates a broader systems challenge: nutrition guidance is most effective when local markets make healthy options consistently available.

Bridging the gap between public health advice and everyday access requires coordination between community health systems and local enterprise.

Read the full story: https://maxfoundation.org/story/creating-a-market-for-child-nutrition-through-entrepreneurship/

Creating a Market for Child Nutrition through Entrepreneurship - Max Foundation Muluwork's shop in rural Ethiopia is creating a market that turns awareness into accessible products. This is how sustainable nutrition delivery systems are built.