Origin and History

In 1990, leaders attending the World Summit for Children pledged to protect the world’s children from micronutrient malnutrition. In 1992, the Micronutrient Initiative was born out of that pledge.

MI was established as a secretariat, to operate within the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). Until 2001, MI was governed by a steering committee comprised of these principal donors and supporters:

• Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA);
• IDRC;
• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF);
• World Bank; and
• US Agency for International Development (USAID).

During the nine years that MI operated within IDRC, it supported nutrition programs in more than 75 countries. It also dedicated considerable resources to building knowledge, consensus and momentum. Working with its many partners, MI identified and developed mechanisms to enhance the nutritional status of malnourished people. It cultivated effective partnerships with governments, international development agencies, food industries and non-governmental organizations. In keeping with the commitment put forward at the World Summit for Children in 1990, MI’s efforts were aimed at initiating and sustaining concerted international action to rid the world of micronutrient malnutrition.