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.
