Nourishing ESG

Nutrition and ESG Reporting

With the growing importance of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks globally, companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of workforce well-being as a key contributor to business sustainability and success. Nutrition/ Workforce Nutrition (WFN), a critical aspect of employee health, directly influences productivity, morale, and business outcomes.

ESG investing presents a significant opportunity to align financial returns with positive nutritional and societal outcomes. Establishing business standards specifically targeting food systems can provide a clear and actionable framework for the private sector to enhance nutrition and overall public health.

In emerging markets like India, where the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) mandates the top 1,000 companies to disclose ESG data through the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR), there is an opportunity to integrate Nutrition/ WFN metrics into responsible business reporting. Despite its significance, Nutrition/ WFN remains underreported within existing ESG frameworks.

The Nourishing ESG project is undertaken in collaboration with the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), the School of Business Environment of Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), and the Indian Institute of Management – Mumbai (IIM).

Objectives

To design indicators that could fit within India’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR)

To map the BRSR to identify opportunities to incorporate workforce nutrition

To conduct research on existing reporting frameworks used by approximately 50 food and non-food listed companies such as GRI, SASB, WBA, ISSB etc.

To convene multi-stakeholder workshops and generate awareness on the value of Nutrition/ WFN reporting among companies, governments, and investors.

To develop a detailed policy brief from the research and convenings for knowledge generation on the opportunities of reporting on Nutrition/ WFN.

To leverage policy and advocacy for inclusion of workforce nutrition metrics into ESG framework.

To conduct a national workshop to mobilise the business community on the importance of Nutrition/ WFN.

To represent and participate in relevant fora to showcase the importance of nutrition in ESG reporting to a wider audience.

Expected Deliverables

Comprehensive report on key takeaways from Workshops
Detailed policy brief on Nutrition/WFN in ESG Reporting
National level workshop and conference on responsible business conduct 2025

Workshops

1. Introducing Nutrition into ESG Reporting

Outcome: Obtain a baseline understanding of reported metrics that can be adapted for WFN and initial buy-in from participating companies for future collaboration.

2. Closed Group with Key Stakeholders

Outcome: Identify industries or companies open to further engagement and exploration of WFN-specific reporting metrics.

3. Presenting Recommended WFN Metrics and Seeking Feedback

Outcome: Validate the WFN metrics and a committed group of industries ready to pilot the disclosures.

National Roundtable

Policy Advocacy: Integrating Nutrition into ESG Policy & Reporting Frameworks

Key Activities:

Present case studies and best practices.
Present research outcomes and recommended integration of nutrition metrics into ESG frameworks in India.
Highlight pilot commitments and seek company feedback.
Engage with regulators and policymakers in discussions on integrating nutrition into national ESG reporting frameworks

Outcome: Increase awareness among policymakers and regulators, strategic outreach to support the adoption of nutrition metrics for WFN reporting in ESG frameworks.

Funding

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN)

Timeline

2023 – 2025

Contact Information

For more information linked to the project, please reach out to:

Christopher Board, Responsible Investor Engagement Manager: christopher.board@atni.org

Nourishing ESG

Project Overview

Workshops

National Roundtable