Case studies

Case-Study 1: Food aid programmes using ultra-processed foods

The World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) use Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to treat children with severe wasting (low weight-for-height) at community level and emergencies.

What is Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food and why is it a wonder food?

It is considered a life-saving essential supply that treats severe wasting in children under 5 years old.
(If not appropriately treated, wasting in children results in higher risk of death).

One Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food sachet combines 500 calories and micronutrients that have:

High nutritional value so that malnourished children gain weight quickly
Two-year shelf-life which makes it convenient to pre-position in a warehouse
Appealing taste and easy digestibility
No need for preparation since children consume it directly from the packet (a benefit especially in unsanitary settlements)

UNICEF promotes sustainable procurement and healthy markets of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food.

To create healthy markets and in line with its sustainable procurement strategy, UNICEF partners with other expert agencies to expand the supplier base with a focus on local production of Ready-to Use Therapeutic Food.

Example:

In 2005, Niger began producing Ready- Use Therapeutic Food under a franchise agreement with the global supplier in France.

In 2010, Niger no longer needed to import it and became a supplier for neighboring countries.

The social and economic impact and benefit of relying on local production strengthens a wider vision and understanding of sustainability through using UNICEF’s supply function.

The supply base for the product has been diversified cutting down carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions previously attributed to international transport and shipping using airfreight in response to emergencies.
Having diversified its supplier base from 1 manufacturer in France to now 21 manufacturers across 15 countries in 4 continents has also empowered local producers, suppliers and workers to benefit from the whole value chain of the product.
Over 65% of the product is now procured from suppliers based in countries where severe wasting is a major public health issue.

Case-study 2: A food aid programme not using ultra-processed foods

The DIATROFI Programme offers daily (Monday to Friday) school meals to reduce food insecurity and promote healthy nutrition habits in Greek schoolchildren.

It supports students in primary and secondary public schools in socioeconomically vulnerable areas throughout the country and serves a dual purpose:

To provide food-aid through the distribution of a free, daily, healthy and nutritious meal to all students in the participating schools.
To promote healthy eating through educational materials and activities for students and their families.

Meals are designed by dietitians to cover 25–30% of children’s daily energy requirements, with the exclusive use of olive oil.

The meal includes:

A starchy food (sandwich made with cheese and either vegetables, egg, or chicken; or a pie such as spinach pie, chicken pie, or pumpkin pie)
Pasteurised low-fat white milk or Greek yogurt
A fresh seasonal fruit.

The foods are sourced, whenever possible, from local vendors and markets in Greece while no preservatives or additives are being used in meals. Also, the meals have no trans fat and are low in salt and added sugars. No ultra-processed food products are provided to children.

You can find more information about the programme and how it promotes healthy eating and social inclusion by watching the video in Module 7.

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