December 10, 2024 - Millers for Nutrition, a coalition of food fortification stakeholders dedicated to helping millers fortify staple foods, recently launched in Ethiopia marking a significant milestone in the nation's effort to combat malnutrition. Hosted by TechnoServe, the event highlighted the essential contributions of millers in enhancing public health through food fortification, aiming to improve the health of millions of Ethiopians.
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| All Strategic Fortification Partners, Millers from Nutrition and Bekele Mekuria Food & Beverage Industry Research and Development Center and the Ethiopian government |
Millers for Nutrition is a new initiative that connects food processors to industry experts, suppliers, social enterprises and other solution providers to access best in class technical assistance and specialised training. The support from partners not only improves the nutritional value of staple foods but also increases operational efficiencies and competitiveness of the businesses.
"Millers for Nutrition is proud to align with the Ethiopian government's vision for food fortification. By placing the food processing sector at the heart of this initiative, we recognise the vital role they play in ensuring that fortified foods reach Ethiopian households. Together, we aim to provide practical support and foster partnerships that will make fortification a seamless, sustainable and impactful part of their work," said Rizwuan Yusufali, Program Director for TechnoServe. "Fortification is not just about adding nutrients; it is about creating value for consumers, families and the future of Ethiopia."
Despite notable progress in improving nutrition over the past two decades, Ethiopia continues to face pressing nutritional challenges. Recent data from the Manufacturing Industry Development Institute's Food and Beverage Industry Research and Development Center reveals that 39% of children under five are stunted, 22% are underweight and 11% are wasted, underscoring the urgent need for continued efforts to address malnutrition.
"The Millers for Nutrition initiative has the power to transform health outcomes for all Ethiopians by addressing nutritional deficiencies at their source - our staple foods," said Berkeley Mekuria, of the Food and Beverage Industry Research and Development Center. "Success hinges on our ability to coordinate across sectors, leveraging expertise from agriculture, health, industry and education to create a comprehensive and sustainable approach to nutrition in Ethiopia."
Millers for Nutrition is supported by Strategic Fortification Partners: BASF, BioAnalyt, Bühler, dsm-firmenich, Mühlenchemie, SternVitamin; Regional Strategic Fortification Partners: Hexagon Nutrition, Piramal, Sanku; and a growing group of local technical partners that share a common vision of improving food processing practices and fortification excellence that ultimately benefits society while enhancing business sustainability. The coalition is powered by TechnoServe with funding support from the Gates Foundation.
For more information, visit HERE.
The Global MillerThis blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
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