From Waste to Worth: How Trade and Partnerships Are Tackling Malnutrition

At Civexa Advisory, we believe trade is most powerful when it creates value on multiple levels — commercial, social, and sustainable. A recent initiative in Pakistan, led by Arla Foods Ingredients in partnership with local businesses and Dansk Industri (DI), is a strong example of how this vision works in practice.

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You can read the full case on DI’s website here.

Tackling Undernutrition with Innovation

Supported by Denmark’s Danida Green Business Partnerships, the project transforms food by-products into nutritious, affordable food solutions for vulnerable communities in Pakistan.

Two approaches stand out:

• Fruit to Food: Surplus apricots and dates that would normally go to waste are being converted into nutrient-rich, low-cost food products.
• Whey to Nutrition: Instead of discarding whey (a by-product of cheese production), it is now used to fortify dairy products like milk and yogurt with extra protein.

The result? Less waste, healthier diets, and new revenue opportunities for local producers.

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Why This Matters for Global Trade

This project offers a blueprint for how international companies can succeed in new markets:

• Resource efficiency creates value — turning waste streams into revenue.
• Public–private collaboration scales impact — combining business know-how, development support, and local industry.
• Commercial sustainability ensures longevity — solutions are designed to last, not just during donor funding cycles.

It’s a reminder that trade is not only about moving goods across borders, but about building ecosystems that generate long-term value.

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Where Civexa Fits In

At Civexa Advisory, this is exactly the kind of opportunity we help businesses unlock. Our role is to connect the dots between strategy, government relations, and market execution so companies can:

• Enter markets faster and with less risk
• Align commercial ambitions with societal impact
• Build durable partnerships that drive growth and goodwill

While the Denmark–Pakistan corridor is our current focus, the principles apply globally: markets are ready for businesses that bring both innovation and responsibility.

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Final Word

The Arla Foods Ingredients initiative in Pakistan shows how meaningful trade can be: good for business, good for communities, and good for sustainability.

At Civexa, we help companies navigate this journey — transforming cross-border complexity into growth, impact, and resilience.

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Full credit to Dansk Industri and Arla Foods Ingredients for leading such an inspiring project.

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