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DSM in partnership with the World Food Programme

In March 2007 DSM announced an official partnership between itself and the United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP). The WFP is the largest provider of food aid to the world’s hungry. They feed and nourish an average of 100 million people in over 80 countries each year. DSM will provide the WFP with expertise, high nutrient products as well as financial assistance.

’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, this food is variable in nutritional value. This means that even if there is sufficient caloric intake, there is a lack of certain key nutrients. This type of under nutrition is generally referred to as ’hidden hunger’ – malnutrition resulting from vitamin and mineral deficiencies. The results of malnutrition can extend for example to impaired productive capacity and blindness from vitamin A deficiency. According to WFP, the cost of child malnutrition is as much as two to three percent of annual GDP in some developing countries.

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 provides technical and scientific support for supplementation programs and for the fortification of staple foods with essential vitamins and minerals in developing countries. A new example in this context is the ‘nutritious rice kernel’: an exact replica of a rice kernel with a high concentration of vitamins and minerals, which through mixing with normal rice makes it highly nutritious food. DSM owns rights regarding a patented process to produce this novel fortificant.

World Food Programme
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Walk the World 2008

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