DSM in partnership with the World Food Programme

In March 2007 DSM announced an official partnership with the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP). WFP is the largest provider of food aid to the world’s hungry. They feed and nourish an average of 90 million people in over 80 countries each year.

By partnering with WFP, DSM has made a commitment to fight hunger and malnutrition around the world. DSM will provide technical and scientific expertise and high nutrient products as well as financial assistance to improve the WFP food basket through the addition of essential micronutrients. Together, DSM and WFP can make a difference to millions of people. Improving nutrition means fighting ‘hidden hunger ’, improving lives, breaking the vicious circle of poverty and hunger. This is a major contribution to unleashing potential in countries and their economies.

The partnership program, ‘Improving Nutrition – Improving Lives’ has two initiatives: nutrition enhancement and employee engagement.

’Hidden hunger’
Hunger is the number one cause of death in the world, killing more people than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined. But even if people have enough food to survive, they can still suffer from malnutrition. This is generally referred to as ‘ hidden hunger’.

Elimination of malnutrition
DSM is well positioned to contribute to the elimination of malnutrition. Besides the humanitarian program SIGHT AND LIFE that has existed for 20 years, DSM has developed the Nutrition Improvement Program (NIP) over the last few years. NIP is a business program which provides technical and scientific support for supplementation programs and for the fortification of staple foods with essential vitamins and minerals in developing countries.

The three programs, Improving Nutrition – Improving Lives, SIGHT AND LIFE and NIP work together to find solutions for WFP, but operate separately from each other and each has its own objectives.