Project CImpact PHN Ghana

Corporate Responsibility of Multinational Food Corporations in Ghana: Assessing their Impact on Public Health Nutrition [CImpact PHN]

Welcome to the CImpact PHN project, led by Jun.-Prof. Dr Tina Bartelmeß, Dr Eric Nyarko, and Dr Faith Onyangore. Our project focuses on the corporate responsibility of multinational food corporations (MNFCs) in Ghana and their impact on public health nutrition (PHN).

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for corporations to take responsibility for their operations' social and environmental impacts. This shift has extended to the field of public health, particularly in the area of nutrition, where the influence of MNFCs is significant but has received limited attention in public health research. We aim to bridge this gap by investigating how MNFCs understand and implement their role and responsibility for PHN in developing countries, using Ghana as a case study.

Our interdisciplinary collaboration seeks to develop a conceptual framework that identifies the different impact areas of MNFCs on PHN. By examining the nature and quality of food-, nutrition-, and health-related corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of MNFCs in Ghana, we aim to assess their effectiveness and derive actionable measures for businesses, PHN policy, and society.

To achieve our goals, we will collect and analyze public data such as CSR reports, information from corporate websites, newspaper reports, and other publicly available materials. Additionally, interviews with corporate representatives and public health nutrition actors in Ghana will be conducted to gain further insights. We will employ qualitative and quantitative research methods to systematically map and analyze this data.

We are excited to announce that in July 2023, we will be conducting field research in Ghana. This research aims to explore the impact of multinational food corporations (MNFCs) on public health and nutrition in Ghana. By conducting on-the-ground investigations, we will gather valuable insights into the role and influence of MNFCs in the country.

We also want to draw your attention to an upcoming exploratory workshop scheduled for December 5th and 6th, 2023. During this workshop, our partners from Kenya and Ghana, as well as researchers from the University of Bayreuth and other Universities, will come together to discuss and explore methodologies for assessing the impact of corporations in the various identified areas; which may potentially lead to a joint application for a larger project.

This project is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under the Program for Initiating International Research Collaboration, specifically the African-German Scientific Exchange in the Field of Public Health. The funding was applied for in collaboration with Dr. Eric Nyarko from the University of Ghana and Dr. Faith Onyangore from the University of Kabianga, Kenya.