Interview with Siraj Chaudhry, Chairman of Cargill India

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN): How is India affected by malnutrition?

Siraj Chaudhry (SC): India houses a quarter of the world’s hungry people or an estimated 230 million. The child malnutrition rate in India is worse than in many sub-Saharan African countries. Around 75 percent of pre-school age children suffer from anemia and vitamin A deficiency in India;1 more than 42 percent of children under five are underweight. In neighbouring China, only seven percent of children under five are underweight.

GAIN: How are you fighting malnutrition?

SC: Cargill is a leader in edible oil production. Edible oil is a staple of people’s diets. We realized the potential of this product in India’s context. The Indian population suffers from chronic deficiencies of vitamins A, D and E, so we decided to fortify our refined vegetable oil with these vitamins. 

GAIN: What makes you motivated to fight malnutrition?

SC: Cargill takes pride in nourishing communities across the world and has partnered with leading international and local non-governmental organizations. Nourishing people is our business.

GAIN: How is GAIN supporting you?

SC: GAIN provides us with information and best practices related to food fortification and assists us with advocacy around the benefits of fortification with key stakeholders such as federal and provincial governments and other agencies. As members of the GAIN Business Alliance we are also connected to other corporations with similar goals.

GAIN: What do you think is needed to scale up the fight against global malnutrition?

SC: Fighting global malnutrition is a collective challenge and has to be owned by all countries. We need capacity building, especially in developing countries and participation from both the government and the private sector. Malnutrition needs to be taken seriously; merely addressing hunger may not necessarily address malnutrition. Fortification holds an important key to fighting malnutrition globally.

1. 1. Investing in the future, a united call to action on vitamin and mineral deficiencies, Global Report 2009. Micronutrient Initiative