“Undernutrition creates a cycle of poverty that is difficult to escape. It plagues more than one in three children in most developing countries and impacts not only an individual’s ability to learn and grow, but also the economy of an entire country. Without a fit and healthy workforce, countries cannot prosper. This is why we believe better nutrition is key to sustainability. It is also why we place women at the center of our work — as women are most likely to determine whether their children eat a safe, diverse and quality diet…,” Laura Birx, an agriculture-nutrition program officer with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes in the foundation’s “Impatient Optimists” blog (1/14).