Global Alliance For Improved Nutrition

SEE PART III, LINE 1.

LARGE-SCALE FOOD FORTIFICATION (LSFF) IS A KEY PART OF THE RESPONSE TO THE CRISIS OF MALNUTRITION, ADDING ONE OR MORE ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS TO WIDELY AND REGULARLY CONSUMED FOODS DURING PROCESSING. THIS IMPACTFUL AND COST-EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION CAN REACH BILLIONS OF PEOPLE BY MAKING COMMONLY CONSUMED FOODS SUCH AS WHEAT AND MAIZE FLOUR, RICE AND EDIBLE OIL AND CONDIMENTS SUCH AS SALT MORE NUTRITIOUS, COMBATTING VITAMIN AND MINERAL DEFICIENCIES AND PROTECTING HUMAN HEALTH. GAIN SUPPORTS FOOD FORTIFICATION AT GLOBAL, REGIONAL AND COUNTRY LEVELS. IN COLLABORATION WITH OUR NUTRITION ENTERPRISE UNIT, WE AIM TO EMPOWER FORTIFIED FOODS PRODUCERS WITH A WHOLE-OF-BUSINESS APPROACH TO FORTIFICATION, COMBINING FORTIFICATION QUALITY ASSURANCE AND CONTROL WITH BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES SUCH AS SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT, OPTIMISING BUSINESS EFFICIENCIES AND MARKETING TO INCENTIVISE FORTIFIED FOODS PRODUCERS. WE ALSO FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT OR STRENGTHENING OF POLICIES, LEGISLATION, GOVERNANCE AND INSTITUTIONS TO DELIVER QUALITY FORTIFIED FOODS. SINCE 2002, GAIN HAS SUPPORTED THE ROLL-OUT OR STRENGTHENING OF FORTIFICATION IN APPROXIMATELY 40 LOW AND MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES, INVESTING APPROXIMATELY USD 250 MILLION IN GRANTS AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. AS A RESULT OF THESE EFFORTS, 15 COUNTRIES HAVE NOW MANDATED LSFF AND WE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MANDATORY LEGISLATION IN MANY MORE COUNTRIES. AN ESTIMATED ONE BILLION INDIVIDUALS HAVE SUSTAINED ACCESS TO FORTIFIED FOODS IN CURRENT GAIN SUPPORTED PROGRAMS, INCLUDING THE GAIN PREMIX FACILITY.

THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF BIOFORTIFIED CROPS (CBC) PROGRAM WAS LAUNCHED IN 2019 TO ADDRESS WIDESPREAD HIDDEN HUNGER IN AFRICA AND ASIA BY SIGNIFICANTLY EXPANDING THE REACH OF FOODS AND FOOD PRODUCTS MADE WITH BIOFORTIFIED STAPLE CROPS. GAIN LAUNCHED THE PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HARVESTPLUS, AN INITIATIVE OF THE CONSULTATIVE GROUP ON INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH (CGIAR). MICRONUTRIENT-RICH CROPS ARE DEVELOPED THROUGH CONVENTIONAL BREEDING TECHNIQUES (THEY ARE NOT GENETICALLY MODIFIED) TO INCREASE THEIR DENSITY OF IRON, ZINC, OR VITAMIN A ALL CRITICAL MICRONUTRIENTS FOR MAINTAINING GOOD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. THEY ARE ALSO BRED WITH OTHER TRAITS DEMANDED BY FARMING FAMILIES, INCLUDING HIGH YIELD, DROUGHT TOLERANCE, AND RESISTANCE TO DISEASE AND PESTS. THE CBC PROGRAM WORKS WITH COMMERCIAL VALUE CHAIN ACTORS INCLUDING SEED PRODUCERS, FARMERS, AGGREGATORS, AND PROCESSORS TO CATALYSE COMMERCIAL MARKETS FOR BIOFORTIFIED SEEDS, GRAINS AND FOOD PRODUCTS IN SIX COUNTRIES WITH PERVASIVE LEVELS OF MALNUTRITION: BANGLADESH, INDIA, KENYA, NIGERIA, PAKISTAN, AND TANZANIA. GAIN'S PROGRAM VISION IS TO SCALE UP THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF BIOFORTIFIED FOODS TO SUSTAINABLY IMPROVE DIET QUALITY AND TACKLE HIDDEN HUNGER BY IMPROVING ACCESS TO INPUTS AND MARKETS FOR BIOFORTIFIED SEEDS AND FOOD PRODUCTS, STRENGTHEN DEMAND FOR NUTRIENT-RICH STAPLE FOODS, AND IMPROVE THE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR BIOFORTIFIED FOODS AND FOOD PRODUCTS.

FEED THE FUTURE'S EATSAFE: EVIDENCE AND ACTION TOWARDS SAFE, NUTRITIOUS FOOD IS A USAID-FUNDED, FIVE-YEAR PROGRAM AIMING TO ENABLE LASTING IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SAFETY OF NUTRITIOUS FOODS SOLD IN TRADITIONAL FOOD MARKETS, WHERE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE BUY AND SELL FOOD EVERY DAY. THE WORK IS DELIVERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A DOZEN IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS INCLUDING CIVIL SOCIETY, BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS, MEDIA, RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS AND LEADING UNIVERSITIES. THE GOALS OF THE PROJECT ARE TO 1) CONSOLIDATE AND GENERATE KNOWLEDGE AND EVIDENCE ABOUT CONSUMER VALUES AND PERCEPTIONS RELATED TO FOOD SAFETY; GENDER ROLES AND NORMS THAT MAY INFLUENCE FOOD-RELATED BEHAVIOR AMONG CONSUMERS, VENDORS AND OTHER ACTORS; AND QUANTIFIED FOOD SAFETY RISKS IN TRADITIONAL MARKETS, 2) DEVELOP AND TEST INTERVENTIONS AND TOOLS TO SUPPORT THEIR IMPLEMENTATION FOR CONSUMERS AND TRADITIONAL MARKET VENDORS TO COMMUNICATE ABOUT AND/OR REDUCE FOOD SAFETY RISKS, AND 3) GENERATE EVIDENCE OF THE IMPACT OF THESE INTERVENTIONS TO ENGAGE AND EMPOWER CONSUMERS AND MARKET ACTORS TO BETTER OBTAIN SAFE, NUTRITIOUS FOODS.