Food fortification: a robust tool to boost nutrition

Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Gambia, Nigeria, Senegal

This program provides leadership to ensure greater demand for fortified foods.

SAL is an active member of the DSM-World Food Programme (WFP) partnership. Created in 2007, the partnership has evolved from a product-development collaboration to one focused on creating systemic change by enhancing supply and understanding of the demand for nutritious foods in diverse communities around the world. Currently, the partnership focuses on rice fortification and strengthening demand for nutrient adequate diets through WFP’s food assistance programs. SAL provides the partnership scientific expertise in areas that include rice fortification (RF), advocacy, communication, and capacity building.

Key details

In 2021, WFP reached an estimated 35 million people with the direct distribution of nutritionally improved foods co-created under the partnership. Over the years, the partnership has shown itself to be a remarkably effective model for disseminating innovation, as exemplified by the rapid spread of RF. In 2021, RF activities were implemented in six countries across West Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean: Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, the Gambia, Senegal, and the Dominican Republic.
The partnership’s extensive joint advocacy and research efforts have helped advance global understanding of the scope and impact of micronutrient deficiencies, as well as awareness of interventions to prevent and treat them.