Scaling up Rice Fortification in West Africa
This supplement is based on the presentations given at a two-day workshop, Rice Fortification – An Opportunity to Improve Nutrition in West Africa, which took place in Dakar, Senegal on November 27−28, 2017. This two-day event was organised by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) with the support of an Organising Committee that included members from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Food Fortification Initiative (FFI), the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Helen Keller International (HKI), Nutrition International (NI), Sight and Life (SAL) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). It brought together high-level country delegates,
global and regional technical partners and global and regional donors to raise awareness and discuss opportunities and challenges around rice fortification and its potential role in improving dietary quality and reducing micronutrient deficiencies in the West Africa region. Representatives from the following West African countries were present: Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria and Senegal. One representative from Madagascar also attended.
30th June 2018
Sight and Life; WFP
The articles in this supplement examine the current situation pertaining to micronutrient deficiencies in West Africa. They explore food availability and consumption in the region and review the status of, and the lessons learned from, grain fortification and its application in West African countries. The various contributions both explain the principles of rice fortification and present the latest evidence on rice fortification. The supplement helpfully elucidates some of the misconceptions associated with rice fortification and also investigates important considerations for identification of the most appropriate delivery channels and technologies for fortified rice. The significance of developing standards and the factors that influence the cost of rice fortification are also explained. A special article is dedicated to the new WHO guidelines on rice fortification and the supplement concludes with a summary of the West Africa Rice Fortification workshop.