Nutrition Supply Forum 2025
From 2 to 4 April 2025, UNICEF hosted the biennial Nutrition Supply Forum in Copenhagen, bringing together over 150 in-person and 100 online participants from 50 countries.
Specialized nutrition product manufacturers, suppliers, researchers, partners and donors were among the meeting’s participants. The Forum addressed ongoing funding uncertainties amid geopolitical, climate and armed conflict-related challenges.
Participants shared key updates that underscored the growing emphasis on preventing malnutrition with the use of small quantity lipid based nutrient supplements; improving access to complementary foods with the First Foods Africa initiative; bolstering maternal nutrition through multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) and scaling up production in low- and middle-income countries.
Technical panel sessions brought together suppliers, donors and UNICEF country office specialists, facilitating in-depth discussions on market dynamics, procurement, and quality expectations for MMS, ready-to-use therapeutic foods (RUTF), lipid-based nutritional supplements, and other nutrition products.
Financing options
The Forum also showcased financing innovations for countries, such as supplier financing mechanisms for access to working capital, and the Child Nutrition Funds Match Window, a financing mechanism that empowers national governments to mobilize a 1:1 match of domestic resources dedicated to procuring essential nutrition supplies.
Small quantity lipid based nutrient supplements emerged as a strategic option for manufacturers to diversify their portfolio and increase business viability. First Foods Africa attracted great interest among partners and suppliers, leading to interactive discussions.
Uncertain funding
With new global commitments of nearly US$ 28 billion in funding for nutrition announced during the Nutrition for Growth Summit in March 2025, the Nutrition Supplier Forum reinforced the shared resolve to ensure a consistent supply of life-saving nutrition products, laying the groundwork for more resilient systems that better serve children.
At the same time, many Forum attendees noted that ongoing funding uncertainty for nutrition programmes was already disrupting operations and constraining investment planning. There was widespread agreement that a coordinated, sector-wide effort was needed to preserve hard-won gains and ensure uninterrupted supply.
