Cargill

In India, a country where 194 million people—and 40% of children—are malnourished, cooking oil matters. The staple product is found in 99% of Indian homes, making it one of the most surefire weapons to fight the country’s scourge of malnutrition and fend off the host of issues—from blindness to vulnerability to infection—that come with it. That’s why it was meaningful when Cargill, which sells more than a half-million ton of edible oils in India each year, began fortifying its products with vitamins A and D in 2008. Siraj Chaudhry, CEO of Cargill Foods India, saw nutrient enrichment—a $1 million annual investment—as a competitive advantage. Consumers and, more significantly, competitors were swayed—most cooking oil in India is now fortified. “It has been a catalyst for the whole industry,” says Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition’s Greg Garrett.