Olam Agri’s Commitment at Nutrition for Growth (N4G) Summit

Olam Agri has taken a systematic approach to Workforce Nutrition with the goal of providing access to nutrition programmes to 100% of their workforce by 2030. The company creates tailored action plans for each worksite – aiming for small wins and formulating plans for more longer term, sustainable actions. Each year, they revisit the self-assessment exercise to track progress, celebrate successes and adjust approaches to keep up the success rates. 

These efforts align with the growing global momentum around workforce nutrition, reinforced most recently at the 2024 Paris N4G Summit private sector event in March 2025, where stakeholders—including The Consumer Goods Forum—highlighted the critical role of the private sector in promoting healthier, more sustainable diets and addressing malnutrition. Learn more.

Overview of Progress 

Olam Agri started an annual competition to reward the best worksites for their efforts. This has led to teams meeting the minimum requirements and setting ambitious goals. For example all worksites in Ghana and Cameroom have acheived the gold level on the WNA scorecard

Olam Agri has digitised the scorecard self -assessment process, developing a new platform, based on the Workforce Nutrition Alliance’s methodology. This has made monitoring and supporting the progress of workforce nutrition goals more agile and robust. The platform enables the worksites to access their scorecard nutrition program and gather insights on their historical performance. Olam Agri  reports that 84% of worksites have a status of Bronze and above, indicating an active access to nutrition programs at the workplace. 

The company has supported colleagues from India, Senegal, Côte D’Ivoire and Nigeria to participate in Workforce Nutrition Alliance’s Masterclass, a 13-week course, which empowers nutrition programme managers to develop and deploy a successful nutrition and health programme at their respective worksites.

The company expects the energy and enthusiasm from the top teams to generate inspiration to other teams, enabling them to adopt more activities in their workforce nutrition programmes.

From an Olam Grains Plant in Tema, Ghana

Challenges Faced 

Workforce Nutrition programmes are mainly about changing behavior. This includes employees accepting to participate in different activities and creating new healthier habits. The goal is to encourage overall lifestyle changes which can prove challenging. 

Olam Agri identified three main challenges:

  1. Employee participation;
  2. Budget Constraints;
  3. Cultural Differences.

At first, not many employees joined the workforce nutrition programmes. Many employees were doubtful about the benefits or felt too busy to participate. Second, it was hard to organise the budget for good nutrition programmes and resources, particularly in the inception phases. Lastly, some employees were resistant to changing their eating habits, which is understandable, particularly those with long-standing dietary preferences.

Initiatives at Olam Agri Cameroon

Nutrition Education Activities

As part of nutrition awareness training throughout worksites, Olam Agri Cameroon  designed visuals containing nutritional information for all employees as guides to a daily diet. Since its launch, more than 50 tips (in French and English) have been shared to educate employees on how to change their eating habits by understanding the impact of the vegetables and fruits they consume.

Other activities include nutrition quizzes, webinars titled ‘Health Talks’ and group sports sessions. 

Healthy Food At Work

All employees have access to nutritious and safe food at Olam Cameroon worksites. Every Wednesday all employees share fruits which is made available at all working sites. 

 

 

Nutrition-Focused Health Checks

The My Healthy Day at Work programme was implemented across several locations, including the head office in Cameroon, rice warehouses, and flour mill in Bekoko. Health experts were invited to offer nutrition-focused health checks and nutrition education for all employees. Employees were also advised on healthier eating, and received free anthropometric consultation from a certified nutritionist.

Breastfeeding Support

The programme was launched on the 8th of March and offers employees a comprehensive breastfeeding kit. The kit includes a breast pump, comfort breast pads, an electric baby milk warmer, and an electric baby bottle sterilizer. These tools are designed to support working mothers in expressing and storing breastmilk for their babies while they are at work.  

Impact on Workforce

Olam Agri’s Cameroon worksites, including offices, factories and warehouses,  jumped from Beginner (2022) to Gold (2024) on the WNA Self-Assessment Scorecard via implementing workforce nutrition programmes. While executing these initiatives, a number of KPIs were monitored namely:

Health Metrics Improvement: Since implementation, employee sick days and healthcare costs have decreased. 

Productivity Boost: Overall productivity has increased, driven by improved employee health & energy.

Employee Retention: Retention rates have improved, indicating higher job satisfaction & loyalty.

Employee Testimonials

 

 

Bessong Cassandra, Admin Assistant, Olam Agri, Cameroon said, The nutrition programme has been a game-changer for me. I feel more energetic and focused throughout the day, which has significantly improved my work performance.”

 

 

 

Alain Ndongmo Blaise, MIS Head, Olam Agri, Cameroon said, Participating in the nutrition workshops has not only improved my eating habits but also helped me lose excess fat and fostered a sense of community among colleagues. We share ideas, and recipes and support each other in our health journeys.”

 

Lessons Learnt

Inspiring other organisations in their journey towards promoting employee wellbeing

Start Small and Scale Gradually: Begin with pilot programmes to gauge interest and effectiveness before expanding. This approach allows for adjustments based on feedback and helps manage resources efficiently.

Employee Involvement: Involve employees in the planning and implementation process. Their input can provide valuable insights and foster a sense of ownership and commitment to the programme.

Continuous Communication: Regularly communicate the benefits of the nutrition program and celebrate small wins. Keeping the conversation ongoing helps maintain momentum and encourages sustained participation.

Flexibility and Adaptability: Be prepared to adapt the programme based on feedback and changing needs. Flexibility ensures the programme remains relevant and effective over time.

Support from the Workforce Nutrition Alliance (WNA)

The scorecard tool developed by the Workforce Nutrition Alliance has been a useful tool to gauge a starting point. The guidebooks on each pillar of workforce nutrition clearly explain all you need to know to have an impactful workforce nutrition culture at work. Each year, a number of Olam Agri employees from human resources, sustainability, communications and nutrition attend the 13-week masterclass which has been pivotal in developing and implementing nutrition initiatives.

 

Learn More

About CGF Collaboration for Healthier Lives Coalition of Action

  • The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF)’s CEO-led Coalition of Action on Collaboration for Healthier Lives (CHL) is about making it easier for people around the world to adopt healthier lives for themselves and their families.
  • CHL initiatives running across 9 countries and involving over 160 organisations.
  • As a collective, members of the CGF, and their partners, are exploring, experimenting, innovating, and evolving business models to support positive change, while sharing data and knowledge at scale, cross industry. Health is not a competitive advantage; it’s a basic necessity. And it’s clear no company can solve this issue alone.
  • Collaboration is needed at scale and across sectors if the consumer goods industry is to play the necessary role in the health and wellbeing of people. 
  • For more information please visit our website
  • Contact the CHL team to have your employee wellbeing programmes featured.

About the Workforce Nutrition Alliance

The Workforce Nutrition Alliance (WNA), co-founded by The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), achieved several milestones since its inception in 2019. We are proud our nutrition programmes have reached 6 million workers through our advocacy and technical support, and we are working towards 10 million by 2030. Read our latest progress review. 

Download our latest report