Scaling Up Small-Scale Food Processing for Therapeutic and Complementary Foods for Children in Vietnam (CIFSRF Phase 2)
Programs and partnerships
Lead institution(s)
Summary
This project will contribute to reducing food insecurity and chronic malnutrition in three provinces of northern Vietnam: La¿o Cai, Lai Cha¿u, and Ha¿ Giang.Read more
This project will contribute to reducing food insecurity and chronic malnutrition in three provinces of northern Vietnam: La¿o Cai, Lai Cha¿u, and Ha¿ Giang. The project team will scale up successful initiatives that use locally grown crops for ready-to-use therapeutic foods and fortified complementary foods. Nourishment and better health Therapeutic foods are energy-dense, micronutrient-enriched pastes or bars designed to provide high-density nutrition for severely undernourished children. Complementary foods are designed for the diets of all children between the ages of 6 to 24 months. Researchers from the National Institute of Nutrition, Vietnam and Canada's Ryerson University will use scaling up strategies to -procure crops directly from women farmers in rural Vietnam -establish decentralized production of fortified complementary foods and therapeutic foods in small-scale food processing facilities -distribute the products using a supply chain that includes public health providers (such as the Ministry of Health and international organizations) and commercial channels The project aims to build on the experience of NINFoods, a business-oriented subsidiary of the National Institute of Nutrition. The company successfully standardized the production of a high-energy nutritious bar for integrated management of acute malnutrition. Better nutrition by region Initially, the project team will establish and scale up production of region-specific fortified complementary foods by creating decentralized food production facilities in three rural regions of northern Vietnam. They will then produce ready-to-use therapeutic foods. The Vietnam Women's Union will act as the main liaison with the women farmers who will receive training on agro-ecological practices, post-harvest handling, food safety, and how to form producer associations. By the end of 28 months, the complementary and therapeutic foods from the decentralized facilities will benefit an estimated 15,000 malnourished children. Three nutrition-counselling centres established through the project will serve as product distribution points. Together, they will help more than 1,500 mothers annually with counselling on child feeding practices. Project funding This project is funded under the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF), an IDRC program undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada (formerly Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada).
Research outputs
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Vietnam’s National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) is working with Ryerson University (Canada) researchers to bring sustainable solutions to rural Vietnam. These include the direct procurement of crops from smallholder women farmers, the decentralized production of fortified foods in small local food processing facilities, and a reliable commercial supply chain that sees products purchased by hundreds of nutrition counseling centres. This two-page policy brief/brochure outlines the project strategy.
The project established and scaled up a sustainable value chain for fortified foods using locally grown crops, local manufacturing facilities, and local distribution channels in the remote mountainous regions of northern Vietnam (Lao Cai, Lai Chau, and Ha Giang). Among children who consumed the fortified complementary foods, results indicate that child underweight rate has been reduced to 13.9% from 17.2% and the rate of anemia reduced from 61.3% to 16.1%. Almost 3,000 kg of instant fortified porridge has been provided to date during mid-morning meals to 2,550 children in 21 pre-schools in Lao Cai region, Vietnam.
This successful project reduces food insecurity and chronic malnutrition among women and children in three provinces in northern Vietnam (Lao Cai, Lai Chau, and Ha Giang). Adopting a food systems approach it has integrated multiple project elements while partnering with the private sector to scale-up production of enhanced nutrition solutions. This paper reviews milestones and outcomes of the project, such as developing a successful model for direct procurement of crops from smallholder women farmers and establishing small-scale food processing facilities. It was exceptionally successful in collaborating with provincial and district authorities such as local departments of health, education and agriculture.
Des chercheurs du Vietnam et du Canada s’attaquent à la pauvreté et à la malnutrition chez les femmes et les enfants à l’aide d’aliments enrichis provenant de cultures, d’installations de production et de canaux de distribution à l’échelle locale. Cette approche axée sur le marché réduit la dépendance à l’égard des aliments enrichis importés, crée une source de revenu plus stable pour les petites exploitantes agricoles et offre une sécurité alimentaire durable pour des milliers de personnes vivant dans les régions rurales du Vietnam.
This project brief describes how NINFoods, a business subsidiary under Vietnam's National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) and the Ministry of Health, is working with Canadian researchers to bring sustainable nutrition solutions to rural Vietnam. These include the direct procurement of crops through smallholder women farmers, the decentralized production of fortified foods in small local food processing facilities, and a reliable commercial supply chain for products purchased by hundreds of nutrition counseling centres. Next steps with another partner, the Vietnam Women’s Union, include training workshops in agro-ecological practices, post-harvest food handling, food safety, feeding practices, as well as forming producers' associations.