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Kenya: Rapid Results Initiatives: Successful
completion of the Kenya National Food Fortification Alliance's first Rapid
Results Initiative
On March 1, 2007, at a well-attended media event in the Kenyatta
International Conference Centre, Nairobi, the Kenya National Food Fortification
Alliance (KNFFA) unveiled Kenya's new fortification logo, and Bidco received
certificates for its three qualifying brands of oils and fats, (Kimbo, Golden
Fry and Chipsy). The event marked the successful conclusion of the first food
fortification Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) in Africa. Dr Kioko Mange'li,
Managing Director of the Kenya Bureau of Standards congratulated the RRI team
on its hard work and success. Mr Vimal Shah, the Bidco CEO commented that the
certification, the result of their participation in the KNFFA and the RRI, was
a significant accomplishment for the company, as it integrated the company
commitment to 'happy healthy living' with its corporate social responsibility
agenda.
Mr Vimal Shah, CEO of Bidco with the companies qualifying
products
KEBS MD, Dr Kioko Mange'li, awards Mr Vimal Shah with Bidco's
qualification certificate
In just 130 days, the Kenya team managed to achieve their goal,
which was to have at least 3 edible fats and oils brands on the shelf with the
Vitamin A fortification logo. In doing so, they accelerated progress on
fortification to a pace that had not previously been achieved in Kenya. Using
market forces and voluntary compliance only, this brought 15% of the edible
oils and fats market up to Kenya and international fortification standards in a
period of four months. The achievement has set in motion a process of change in
the industry, with other companies already indicating that up to nine more
brands will soon be applying for the logo.
Qualifying Bidco Brands
To get to this point, the team, which consisted of representatives
from different government entities and private sector companies, worked
collaboratively to develop official Ministry of Health recommendations for food
fortification, revised the Edible Fats and Oils Fortification standards and
created and implemented a certification regime. The team created a
fortification logo to be awarded to brands that successfully passed the
certification process. They also ensured the development of locally-based
vitamin-A testing capacity. With their challenging goal and short time frame,
and with strong endorsement from senior management in each of the participating
organizations, the team demonstrated the old maxim, 'where there's a will
there's a way', finding effective means to shorten lengthy procedures and
resolve problems that under other circumstances would have delayed
implementation for months. Also evident was increased collaboration and
cooperation across ministries and between government and business, and greater
trust on the part of industry that government was committed to fortification
and could deliver on its promised support for fortification efforts. In the
participating organizations, the RRI had the important benefit of raising the
profile of fortification as a cost-effective solution to the vitamin and
mineral deficiency challenge.
Kenya's new fortification logo
During a final wrap-up session and presentation to management
representatives of the participating organizations, the team distilled
important lessons from the experience, which the Kenya Food Fortification
Alliance can now use as it starts planning further action. Among the key
lessons were:
- Business can partner with government and this can produce
business-enhancing results
- Work plans with a short-term specific goal are powerful
- Ownership of the process, by all participating organizations,
is essential
- Informal and formal communication across organizations is
time-consuming but essential for success
- Government and business move at a different pace - but for good
reasons.
Awareness-raising activities are essential to increase the ability
of the logo to change consumer demand and increase industry participation in
fortification. Initially, an RRI on awareness was envisaged to run parallel to
the first RRI. However, largely due to budgetary constraints and the lack of
certified fortified products on the shelf, it was postponed. The current
proposal under consideration by the KNFFA is to have a series of RRIs focusing
on different fortification vehicles, to quickly build a portfolio of products
bearing the fortification logo. With this in place, an awareness campaign could
have much more impact, and is therefore more likely to attract funding from
private companies invested in the process, as well as from donors. Discussions
are currently underway to kick off a second round of RRIs by mid-April. There
is considerable interest in supporting the wheat and maize flour fortification
with iron and other key nutrients.
Dr. Judith Bwonya, Senior Deputy Director of Medical Services
and Head,
Department of Standards and Regulatory Services, Kenyan Ministry
of
Health, making a statement at the unveiling of the fortification
logo
Undertaken with the support of the Micronutrient Initiative, and
facilitated by the Rapid Results Institute, the project demonstrated how the
FORTAF initiative's goal of empowering African business to help resolve
Africa's malnutrition challenges can be achieved.
Dr. A.U Agbanelo, Secretary General, Africa Region Standards
Organization,
Mr. Charles Mbakaya, Acting Director, KEMRI Centre for Public
Health
Research and Dr Carol Marshall, Africa Director of the Micronutrient
Initiative attended the unveiling of the logo.
The Managing Director of KEBS, Dr Kioko Mange'li and Rosemary
Ngaruro,
Head, Nutrition Division, Ministry of Health unveiling the
fortification logo.
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