We don't have to accept deaths from malnutrition. Here's what we can do

35 children will die from malnutrition by the time you finish reading this article. All of these deaths are preventable.

If we want to fix big problems, like hunger and malnutrition, no one can do it alone. We need governments, companies and farmers, civil society and the science community all to step up and work in harmony.

This week, leaders from all over the world gather in Durban, South Africa. They will discuss how to tackle the big issues. I suggest they look at Rwanda, and specifically how to deal with malnutrition. For instance how Africa Improved Foods (AIF) can act as an effective model. AIF is a new multi-sectoral, public-private partnership that is feeding the people of Rwanda and feeding economic growth at the same time.

AIF brings together farmers, food industry workers, government (both donor and recipient) and private partners to feed millions of people. The best part is that it works. Even better, it can be replicated.

Less than two years ago, the Government of Rwanda invited several organizations to invest in prenatal and early childhood nutrition. Now AIF is operating and prepared to feed millions of people including some of the most vulnerable populations, pregnant mothers, and children.

Scientific evidence shows that the first 1,000 days of life, from conception to a child's second birthday, are critical for physical and mental development. That means that some of the most vulnerable groups also contain a considerable amount of promise. Giving these young, developing minds a head start with proper nutrition can significantly boost health and stimulate economic opportunity.

The AIF partners invited by the Rwandan government include the company I work for, DSM, a global science-based group with expertise in fortified foods and early life nutrition, the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank, the Development Finance Institution of the UK Government’s Department for International Development (CDC) and FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank.

AIF now employs 260 people who produce fortified cereals and porridges for pregnant and lactating women, toddlers and older children. It’s a socially-inclusive model that sources maize and soy from more than 9,000 local farmers, providing them with a sustainable, predictable source of income.

Co-funding of locally-based food production through a joint venture like AIF can offer a ready supply of foods for distribution while enabling part of the off-take to be sold commercially. Profits can be reinvested to further scale-up nutrition in the region. AIF plans to launch in Ethiopia next.

As Heads of State, companies and NGO’s gather to discuss some of the greatest challenges on the continent (and in the world), let them remember this. Every day, more than 10,000 mothers will watch their babies die in their arms because of malnutrition. It doesn’t need to be that way.

We have the technology and resources to feed everyone. We also have a business model that works. Let’s end the hunger and the heartbreak. Let’s be optimistic and build new partnerships across sectors and across borders to make sure people of this continent and every continent have the healthy, nutritious foods they need to live to their full potential. And let’s not stop there. We have an endless capacity to do good in the world - from creating decent work for everyone to developing the circular economy to protecting the planet for generations to come. We just need to get there together.