Investors push food giants toward healthier, sustainable nutrition solutions

Food and beverage manufacturers are increasingly focusing on nutrition due to public demand, regulations, and investor pressure. The Covid-19 pandemic has also strengthened the link between poor diets and infectious diseases, accelerating interest in healthier and more sustainable options. Mayssa Al Midani invests in companies tackling global food challenges while ensuring sustainability and access to quality nutrition. She partners with the Access to Nutrition Initiative (ATNI) to assess firms on nutritional value, affordability, and marketing practices. Her approach pushes businesses to expand healthy product ranges, lower prices, adopt responsible advertising, and support front-of-pack labelling.

Pictet Asset Management (Pictet AM) collaborates with major firms like Nestlé, Danone, and China Mengniu to improve their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) profiles. These efforts follow ATNI’s recommendations. To strengthen its expertise, Pictet AM’s portfolio managers receive guidance from an advisory board that includes a doctor studying nutrition’s role in non-communicable diseases and a former Nestlé innovation leader.

The pandemic has also disrupted food security, prompting the industry to adopt high-tech solutions for supply chains and production. At the same time, Pictet AM works with other asset managers and internal teams to increase its influence on sustainable nutrition. Companies are now more accountable for their nutritional impact. Investors like Al Midani and firms like Pictet AM are driving changes in product offerings, pricing, and transparency. These shifts aim to address health, sustainability, and accessibility in the global food system.