In the ongoing battle against hunger and malnutrition, the World Food Program (WFP) and the International Potato Center (CIP) have renewed their alliance for an additional four years through a newly signed memorandum of understanding (MOU).
This renewed partnership will pivot towards advancing research and innovation aimed at harnessing the nutritional advantages of biofortified crops and other nutritious produce, according to a press release. The focus will be on forging market partnerships, implementing school feeding initiatives, and bolstering other social protection programs to maximize the impact on nutrition.
Acknowledging the critical necessity for a strengthened collaboration between research and implementation in the intersecting realms of humanitarian aid and resilience building, WFP and CIP are pooling their respective strengths to spearhead innovative nutrition initiatives for marginalized communities in Kenya and neighboring nations.
The broad impacts on Vitamin A deficiency achieved with Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP) over the past years will be expanded to include other biofortified and nutritious crops and foods. Recognized as a flagship crop for school feeding and social protection programs, OFSP offers immense potential in addressing malnutrition.
Expanding Reach through Strategic Alliances
The MOU gains further momentum by including the WFP Farm-to-Market Alliance (FtMA) as a strategic partner. The momentum of the MOU gains further traction with the inclusion of the WFP Farm-to-Market Alliance (FtMA) as a strategic partner. With a proven track record of serving 80,000 potato farmers through its Farmer Service Center model, FtMA emerges as a formidable ally in leveraging local and regional markets to expand the accessibility of nutritious crop varieties. Collaborative endeavors with CIP are specifically directed towards addressing the unique challenges faced by agriculture and food security in the arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya.
Both parties recognize the importance of preventive nutrition programming, especially in improving infant and young child diets. OFSP puree has proved to be an effective weaning and infant food especially where complementary nutrition education can be delivered. WFP and CIP are committed to exploring new channels for delivering this product also in resource-poor urban communities where young child diets are inadequate.
