A Strategic Alliance to Stop Malnutrition

The strategic alliance SAFO (Strategic Alliance for the Fortification of Oil and Other Staple Foods) being implemented by BASF and GTZ supports local manufacturers in fortifying staple foods with vital nutrients, especially vitamin A. Besides providing capacity-building to different stakeholders, SAFO offers the partner companies specially-developed mobile mini-laboratories about the size of a laptop case for quality assurance. Together with civil society and governmental organizations, business models are being developed to sustainably and affordably improve the nutrition of lower-income population groups.

Vitamin A deficiency is one of the main challenges in extensive areas of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Although many people in these regions have access to staple foods such as flour or rice, these staples contain hardly any vitamin A. Foods containing vitamin A, such as milk and eggs, are either not available or beyond the financial reach of many inhabitants of these countries. A deficiency of vitamin A leads via blindness and immune weakness to higher disease and mortality rates, especially among young children and pregnant women. UNICEF estimates that one million children die worldwide every year from vitamin and mineral deficiency.

The economic development of the affected countries also suffers: Malnutrition reduces the educational opportunities and productivity of the society, in addition to raising healthcare costs. Up to 2 percent of the gross domestic product can be lost as a result.

BASF, the world’s leading chemical company and vitamin producer, are cooperating in a strategic alliance. SAFO’s objective is to reach several million people with staple foods fortified with vitamin A.

BASF’s contributions comprise a package of technical solutions for the manufacturers of fortified staple foods. This comprises cost-effective product solutions in the form of stable, specially encapsulated vitamin formulations; the technical training of production and laboratory personnel; analytical support; innovative packaging solutions; and business models for marketing to BoP target groups. The GTZ advises the local governmental organizations on how to improve the legal framework conditions for local companies by establishing standards and seals of quality, and moderates local alliances of the various stakeholders.

BASF and GTZ have also developed mobile laboratory equipment for the cost-effective determination of the vitamin A content of food. These lab cases allow the quality and effectiveness of the programs to be monitored where the actual vitamin content is decisive – namely in the local markets.

Nevertheless, the foods will remain affordable for the consumers. For example, fortifying edible oil with vitamin A increases the manufacturing costs by only 0.2 to 0.3 percent.

SAFO intends to reach several million people by the end of 2010, with all the parties involved benefiting from the cooperation. BASF is tapping into new BoP markets and is demonstrating social accountability, local producers receive technical support, the economy of the partner countries is strengthened, and the German development cooperation project with its market-based approach is contributing in a scalable manner to improving the nutritional situation in target countries.