Dr Beat Schürch answers questions about the work of the Foundation that he has been directing since 1979.

What are some of the major activities of the Foundation?

The Nestlé Foundation exists to initiate and support research into human nutrition with relevance to public health in low-income and middle-income countries. One of our primary objectives is the transfer of scientific and technological knowledge to poorer countries, so most Foundation-sponsored research projects are realized in collaboration with scientists at universities and research institutes in these countries. With this same aim in mind, we also have an international fellowship program intended to develop and strengthen the research capacity of nutrition research units in poorer countries.

Are the projects long term ones?

They are usually of one- to three-year duration, but we have also supported a few that lasted longer.

What happens when the projects are completed? Are they presented or published by the Foundation?

The investigators, not we, publish the results in scientific journals. We make these publications available to interested individuals and organizations free-of-charge.

Why do you only fund nutrition projects in developing countries?

With an annual budget of about 3 million Swiss francs (approximately US$2m), we remain a relatively small foundation. In more affluent countries, our involvement would only amount to a marginal contribution in terms of money and know-how to what is already being invested into nutrition research. We believe that we can best make a difference in the poorer countries so that is where we concentrate our efforts.

Some people have questioned the independence of the Nestlé Foundation. How do you assure that its activities are not influenced by the commercial concerns of Nestlé?

Three basic principles ensure the independence of the Foundation. First, it is legally an entirely independent entity. Second, it is financially independent, as our source of income is the revenue from our endowment. Third, it is operationally independent as the decision-making body, the Council, consists of independent scientists.

Have you ever had a negative experience because of Nestlé's association with the infant formula issue, which received wide attention in the 1970's and 1980's?

Occasionally - but fortunately this is not a regular occurrence. Some of the Foundation's Council members and scientific advisors have been mistakenly criticized for 'collaborating' with Nestlé. And in Uganda, for instance, we were accused of trying to influence Government decisions by awarding fellowships to staff of a nutritional rehabilitation unit. This was completely untrue; in fact the request for these fellowship grants had come from Uganda. And we did not have the slightest intention of influencing anybody.

If a researcher wants to ask for support for a project, how does he/she apply?

We ask interested scientists to first send us a letter of intent in which they describe very briefly the kind of project they would like to submit, including an estimate of the funds required. If the project is compatible with the Foundation's current funding policy, applicants will receive guidelines on how to submit a detailed proposal.

What can an applicant do to maximize his/her chances of selection? What are some of the criteria which your Council uses in selecting projects to fund?

Decisions on funding are taken based on the scientific quality and practical importance of the project. The project should be innovative and should address a question that science has not yet clearly answered. It should also address an important issue - an issue that, if you resolve it, can make a real difference to ordinary people's health in the developing world. We also examine closely the proposed research methods, which should be capable of providing an answer to the questions that are being raised.

What do you see as the critical nutrition issues for the coming decade and how have they changed?

In the 33 years of the Foundation's existence, the focus of interest of scientists and policy makers concerned with malnutrition in developing countries has shifted from protein to dietary energy and then to micronutrients, particularly iron, vitamin A, iodine and zinc.

Today there is increasing evidence that poor growth before birth and early in life predisposes people to a greater risk of suffering from various chronic diseases in adulthood. Especially if subsequently they have access to more food, they are more likely to suffer from obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and other chronic diseases later in life. Increasingly large segments of low-income country populations are now under the threat of developing these diseases that were earlier seen as important health problems only in richer countries. An important task in the foreseeable future will be to find ways of attenuating the effects of this epidemiological change.

What do you feel are some of the Nestlé Foundation's most important contributions to improved nutrition since its founding?

People involved with the Foundation have always attributed great importance to maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation and to infant nutrition. They have thus helped to elucidate many questions having to do with nutrition very early in life and its effects on infant and child health, growth, motor and mental development.

We have contributed to studies showing that improvements in the mother's nutrition during pregnancy can increase the birthweight of her child, which is an important determinant of that individual's future health. The Foundation is now making important contributions to discover how early nutrition affects the risk of chronic and infectious diseases in adulthood.

The Foundation publishes an Annual Report, which contains a listing of its activities and publications. Requests should be addressed to: