‘The Most Concerted Effort’ — How ATNi Is Mobilizing Investors for Global Nutrition

New research continues to spotlight the growing role of investors in shaping healthier food systems — and the impact of collaborative action.

A review by Northeastern University, commissioned by The Health Foundation, identified the Access to Nutrition initiative’s Investors in Nutrition and Health as ‘the most concerted effort’ of investors partnering with NGOs to address global nutrition challenges.

This follows a recent article from Deakin University, which concluded that ‘there is merit in leveraging ATNi’s network of investor signatories to improve food environments and promote responsible investing in the food system.’

At the same time, research highlights a critical gap in the food industry: a small number of prominent investors — such as BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street — hold substantial influence over food manufacturers, retailers, and fast-food chains, but do not yet prioritize nutrition in their investment decisions.

This is where ATNi is playing a pivotal role — bridging the gap between finance and public health.

Since launching its investor coalition in 2013, ATNi has worked to mobilize capital market influence to improve corporate nutrition practices.

At the Tokyo Nutrition for Growth Summit, a coalition of investors managing USD 12.4 trillion in assets led by ATNi made a unified call to address the global nutrition crisis. They pledged to engage the 20 companies listed in the ATNI Global Index 2021.

ATNi achieved the folllowing results over the following 20 months:

• 34 company meetings
• 351 investor requests
• Engagements focused on product healthiness, transparency, and lobbying practices

The 2021–2023 progress report showed meaningful results: increased corporate commitments to define healthy products, disclose portfolio healthiness, and set targets to reduce negative nutrients.

Momentum has continued. At the Nutrition for Growth Summit (N4G Paris, March 2025), ATNi mobilized seven investors managing over USD 1 trillion in assets under management to require disclosures from 23 publicly listed food and beverage manufacturers assessed in ATNi’s Global Index 2024. These disclosures are being requested using a government-endorsed nutrient profile model — further strengthening accountability and comparability across the sector.

How ATNi drives impact:

• Setting the Standard – Through the Investor Expectations on Diets, Nutrition and Health, ATNi provides a clear roadmap for investor engagement on governance, transparency, and responsible lobbying. ATNi also engages with ratings providers and sustainability reporting frameworks and standards to incorporate nutrition metrics, including S&P Global and ISSB.
• Data-Driven Benchmarking – ATNi’s company assessments equip investors with evidence to challenge corporate practices and encourage healthier product portfolios.
• A Global Network – As of February 2026, ATNi’s Investors in Nutrition and Health includes 87 investor signatories representing more than USD 21 trillion in assets under management.
• Proven Impact – compared to non-signatories, signatories are significantly more likely to use their influence to drive impact for nutrition, including by participating in collaborative engagement and supporting health-related shareholder proposals

At ATNi, we believe the financial sector is one of the most powerful levers for improving the global food environment. By leveraging collective influence, investors can move beyond traditional ESG metrics and make nutrition a core pillar of responsible investment.