The FORTAF Challenge

Background

In food fortification - the addition of minute quantities of vitamins and minerals to food during processing - African food companies have a great opportunity to improve the health of Africa's people, AND grow their businesses. Industry leaders across Africa are challenged to adopt fortification as a business development strategy and a contribution to Africa's development.

The Comprehensive African Agricultural Development Program (CAADP), endorsed by African Heads of State as part of the African Union's flagship program, the New Plan for Africa's Development (NEPAD), promotes strategies to achieve Africa's growth and development goals.

The Micronutrient Initiative and its partners stand ready to provide technical support to companies to fulfill this commitment. The development partners are already working with governments, companies and civil society to create a fortification-friendly environment. This involves harmonizing regulations and standards, strengthening monitoring and evaluation systems, and creating demand through innovative marketing.

Among these, it advocates for the fortification of commercially processed foods with essential vitamins and minerals as a key strategy to improve the quality and diversity of diets in Africa.

Food Processing

In Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is still a net importer of food. Nevertheless, the bulk of its staple food is processed locally. Virtually 100% of maize meal, 90% of wheat flour, 96% of refined sugar, 90% of salt (but only 37% in West Africa) and 66% of palm oil are processed on the continent.

There is substantial trade in staple food within the region. For example, South African and Tanzanian maize flour processors supply Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia. South Africa and the DRC account for over 90% of sunflower oil production in Southern Africa, and this production supplies the region. In West Africa, salt produced in Senegal is the primary source for Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote D'Ivoire, Mali and Niger.

A small group of food companies, mostly African, have an extensive footprint on the continent. Examples of trans-national firms with an impressive regional reach include a Namibian milling concern, Namib Mills, with operations in Botswana, Swaziland (where the company is the only miller) and Mozambique; a Kenyan edible oil processor, Bidco, with operations in Tanzania and Uganda and export activities to Malawi, Madagascar, the DRC and Sudan; a Cameroonian palm oil producer, SocaPalm, that serves the regional market; and South African sugar companies, Illovo and Hulletts, which control a large portion of the Southern African sugar industry.

These examples show that the reach of individual companies and their products is wide. If these companies were to fortify the basic foodstuffs they process to regional standards, it would significantly increase access to fortified staple food across the continent.

The FORTAF challenge to African Business is therefore to make fortification the norm for commercially processed staple foods throughout Sub-Saharan Africa by 2010. Leading companies are invited to commit to fortifying their entire output of basic foods destined for consumption in Africa within two years.

Are you ready to make the commitment?

A Five-Fold Invitation to Industry

1. Be part of the solution: Fortifying basic foods such as wheat and maize flour, salt, edible oils and sugar is a cost-effective way to tackle Africa's persistent health problems. More than half of the continent's people suffer from vitamin and mineral deficiencies, causing illness, disability, and premature death. Fortification is a solution that matches the scale and significance of the problem. By adding minute quantities of essential vitamins and minerals to foods during processing, companies are improving the quality of diets worldwide. At only a few cents per serving, fortified foods provide a practical solution to the malnutrition problem.

2. Join the frontrunners: Fortifying your brands will help consolidate and extend market leadership in staple food processing and marketing: African-owned and operated companies produce and process the bulk of the processed staple foods consumed in Africa. Fortification provides one means to remain dominant in this competitive industry. Rather than having to play catch-up when international corporations introduce fortified products into the African market, African companies can maintain leadership by being the first to introduce products fortified to government specifications into the market.

3. Do good while doing good business: Fortification links your core business activities with your corporate social responsibility (CSR) targets. Leading companies worldwide are seeking sound CSR opportunities that relate to their line of business. African food industry leaders know that fortification is "the right thing to do" because it delivers a healthier product to consumer. Investing in a technology like fortification helps ensure improved health, vitality and prosperity. A healthy and prosperous population means a sustainable and growing customer base for the company.

4. Build your business: Fortification fits into a modern business development strategy. Get maximum benefit when you upgrade production equipment and processes, by including the equipment and know-how needed for fortification at minimum additional cost. The introduction of fortification can also be used as an opportunity to revitalize management and quality control in your plant, and bring new vitality to the marketing team. This website provides information on equipment required for the fortification of flour, oils, salt and sugar. {links to right place on each drop down list in top menu}

5. Join hands with national, regional and global partners. Fortification provides an opportunity to work in collaboration with government, regional bodies and international development partners. In addition to governments and regional organizations, the global network of organizations involved in fortification can provide technical assistance, access to technical information and resources, and links to other company leaders introducing fortification into their operations.

Leaders from Government and the private sector meet in Kenya to discuss taking fortification forward as a public-private sector partnership		Kenya: Bidco's CEO, Mr. Vimal Shah at the launch of Bidco's three fortified edible oil brands on the 1st of March 2007. Bidco was part of the Rapid Results team focused on the voluntary fortification of edible oil in Kenya. At the launch Mr Shah emphasized the potential role of food fortification in addressing VMDs and called upon his colleagues in the food industry to emulate Bidco's leadership role in fortification		Bidco's fortified "KIMBO" oil is available in grocery stores and supermarkets throughout Kenya and has earned the official Kenya Ministry of Health Fortification Logo