Micronutrients are so inexpensive that, regardless of the form, they should ultimately be affordable by the intended beneficiaries. From equity reasons or in the short term, some form of targeted subsidy may be necessary to reach the poorest and to form habits among the desired beneficiaries. In the long run, however, financial sustainability will depend upon consumers' willingness to pay for the nutrients. It is the government's responsibility to choose the most cost-effective means of delivering micronutrients to the population. Because fortification of water and foods is also extremely cost-effective, nontraditional sector involvement is desirable as well.
Donors have a key role to play in assisting with program design and financing.
That figure is equivalent to the economic costs of endemic deficiencies of vitamin A, iodine, and iron in a single country of 50 million people. Most of these costs will ultimately be borne by consumers when purchasing food with higher nutritional quality. In the short run, however, donors and governments may have to assume a major financial burden for project preparation, start-up costs, and recurrent costs in the early years. The economic and social payoffs from micronutrient programs reach as high as 84 times the program costs. Few other development programs offer such high social and economic payoffs.