Here at NOW we’re always looking for clever ideas that help take the world beyond green and eco to reach genuine sustainability, and The Lucky Iron Fish ingot is one of them.

According to folklores around the world eating fish brings good luck and increases prosperity. It was Cambodian village elders who told this to Canadian Gavin Armstrong, thanks to whom a simple iron fish used in cooking is set to solve a health problem which affects 3.5 billion people worldwide.

The Lucky Iron Fish ingot introduces up to 90% of the required level of iron into the diets of people suffering the effects of deficiency including anemia, weakness and poor development just by being used in liquids for cooking or drinking.

The company behind it was the brainwave of Armstrong, one of seven finalists nominated for a Unilever Sustainable Living Young Entrepreneurs Award given to young people who tackle environmental, social and health issues.

Dr Armstrong founded the for-profit social enterprise in 2012 and it has been picking up environmental and social accolades ever since.

For every iron fish bought (which costs $25) one is donated to a family in Cambodia, where half the population is suffering from iron deficiency. It has already donated 34,000 fish in Asia and says its tests show that regular use reduces the prevalence of anemia by up to 46%. Read more.