Unilever walks against famine

Unilever’s partnership with WFP entered a new phase in 2011, under the flag Project Laser Beam (PLB). It is a unique 5-year public-private partnership that aims to eradicate child malnutrition, with an initial focus on Bangladesh and Indonesia. Other partners include Kraft, DSM, GAIN and the Government of Bangladesh.

Together with our partners we are aiming to improve the health and nutrition of up to 500,000 children through schools and the community with the provision of school meals, safe drinking water, improved handwashing behaviour and job creation for women.

Brand campaigns will support the partnership, raising awareness of child hunger and funds for the initiatives under Project Laser Beam. Employee engagement will also play a critical role: our employees are taking part in fund raising events such as Walk the World every year, while Unilever will sponsor a number of internships for university graduates to also support PLB.

PLB goes right to the heart of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, which has pledged to help more than a billion people take action to improve their health and well-being by 2020. Future business growth will come from developing and emerging countries and so it is in our own interest to improve the health and well being of our future consumers. As one of the biggest, most successful global businesses, with over two billion people using Unilever’s products everyday, we see it as our responsibility to bring hygiene and clean water as well as healthy and nutritious food to a greater community.