November 12, 2021
Effective ways to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition
Global food systems face multiple challenges, from how food is produced, processed and packaged to how it’s distributed and consumed. Various practices at each stage of this value chain hinder food security and harm the planet. Climate-related challenges such as scarcity, soil erosion and drought add to these challenges, leading to reduced food production and disrupted supply chains.
At the same time, many countries are experiencing the double burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition coexists with obesity and other diet-related diseases. According to the UN State of Food Security & Nutrition Report, 690 million people suffer from malnutrition, while 21.3% of children are stunted. Add to this the projected population growth, where we could reach 9.7 billion people by 2050, and the demand for safe, nutritious food escalates.
"We believe that, to build sustainable food value chains, it is essential to collaborate in partnership with stakeholders."
Rafael Fabrega is the Director for Tetra Laval Food for Development, and in his experience, collaboration across the public and private sectors is key to addressing these challenges.
“We understand the global challenges related to food security and nutrition, and we believe that to build sustainable food value chains, it is essential to collaborate in partnership with stakeholders."
Developing School Feeding Programmes
Tetra Pak works together with customers, governments and NGOs, like the United Nations and other international aid agencies, to develop school feeding programmes linked to local agriculture development. “We offer our partners technical assistance and practical support in programme organisation, implementation, evaluation and environmental education. We also advise on food safety and quality controls in schools, sharing best practices used worldwide,” says Rafael.
Many schools around the world face infrastructure and food distribution challenges. So, when it comes to providing children with access to safe nutrition, the right food processing and packaging technology is important. For example, in countries with no reliable cold chain, aseptic packages can be stored for longer without refrigeration, so children in the most remote areas can have access to the nutritious beverages they need.
"We have seen how school feeding programmes can improve nutrition and education for vulnerable groups, and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and local communities."
“Over the years, our food processing and packaging technology has played a key role in providing children around the world access to safe nutrition. Today, more than 68 million school children in 56 countries receive milk or other fortified beverages in Tetra Pak packages,” says Rafael.
Playing a role in improving health, education, and local agriculture development
For many children, food at school is often the first meal of the day, which is why the school feeding programmes are so important. They have had a positive impact on children’s physical health and education by reducing malnutrition and improving school enrolment and attendance rates. They also play an important role in local agriculture development and job creation.
“We have seen first-hand how effective school feeding programmes can be in improving nutrition and education for vulnerable groups – and in spurring dairy production and strengthening local value chains, improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and local communities.”
School feeding is also proven to be a good investment for long-term development: A study based on World Food Programme (WFP) school feeding programmes in 14 countries reported an economic return of between $3 and $9 for every $1 invested. 80% of countries now have school feeding policy in place in comparison to 43% in 2013.
Other results from the study:
- China increased milk production from 200 million to 1 billion litres
- The Dominican Republic reduced malnutrition by 18.4%
- Nairobi County in Kenya increased enrolment to 55%
Contributing to dairy development
The health benefits of dairy consumption are well documented for people of all ages. But, according to the IFCN, 41% (377 million tonnes) of the world’s milk is produced by smallholder farmers and much is not formally processed. In developing countries, only a small portion of locally produced milk is collected, processed and packaged due to lack of infrastructure, cooling and processing capabilities.
Collaborating across the value chain, we developed the Dairy Hub model to secure a long-term supply of locally produced quality milk without an increased collection costs. The Dairy Hub model links smallholder farmers to a dedicated dairy processor in a selected area, and we provide hands-on practical knowledge transfer. By providing farmers with training services and setting up appropriate cooling infrastructure and technology, the supply of locally produced quality milk will increase.
“Through the Dairy Hub model, we collaborate in building sustainable value chains by improving smallholder farmers’ productivity, and thereby supporting our customers to source more quality milk,” Rafael explains.
Since 2011, the Dairy Hubs have helped provide access to formal markets and improve the livelihoods of more than 54,000 smallholder farmers through 16 projects. In Bangladesh, for example, the average net income for more than 12,000 farmers was increased from USD 100 to 244 after 60 months. In Senegal, smallholder farmers saw an increase from USD 120 to 253 on reference farms. And in Albania, the monthly income for the reference farms increased from USD 248 to 477. In Nicaragua, the average milk yield per cow increased 81% in the first 12 months.
“Dairy Hubs help provide formal access to markets and improve the livelihoods of more than 54,000 smallholder farmers.”
School Feeding Programmes and Dairy Hubs are two examples of sustainable, far-reaching collaborations in which we managed to create a positive impact. We have had the opportunity to work with global and local experts, contributing with the skills and expertise fundamental to who we are as a company, and we have been able to measure our results. We are committed to continue collaborating across the value chain to help fight malnutrition, increase food security and support vulnerable groups around the world.
Since 2011, the Dairy Hubs have helped provide access to formal markets and improve the livelihoods of more than 54,000 smallholder farmers through 16 projects. In Bangladesh, for example, the average net income for more than 12,000 farmers was increased from USD 100 to 244 after 60 months. In Senegal, smallholder farmers saw an increase from USD 120 to 253 on reference farms. And in Albania, the monthly income for the reference farms increased from USD 248 to 477. In Nicaragua, the average milk yield per cow increased 81% in the first 12 months.
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