Based in Lagos, Nigeria, Forti Foods is working to address malnutrition in food-insecure communities by providing fortified meals.
Adekunle tells Food Tank that Forti Foods’ products are “more than a meal.” While targeting “locally developed deficiencies,” she explains that they are designed to preserve the dignity and agency of their clientele through culturally relevant, accessibly packaged food.
Nearly 2 million children in Nigeria suffer from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), but only 20 percent of those affected currently receive treatment, according to the U.N. Children’s Fund. Adenike Adekunle founded Forti Foods to improve the nutritional quality of food aid and address this gap.
After hearing reports about food insecurity and malnutrition in northeastern Nigeria’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Muna Camp influenced Adekunle to start a pilot program that could serve the community. A nutrition surveillance report from the U.N. Office for the Commemorations of Humanitarian Aid reveals that 18 percent of children in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states are acutely malnourished.
According to the World Health Organization fortified foods, which have been enhanced with essential nutrients, are an evidence-informed intervention intended to improve the nutritional quality of the food supply for a community with minimal health risks. Forti Foods worked with the nutrition requirements outlined by Nigeria’s Ministry of Health to develop meals appropriate for Muna Camp to respond to the specific needs of families and individuals.
As they learn from pilot projects like those at Muna Camp, the company is planning for their expansion. But even as they grow, Adekunle aims to prioritize regionalized production that allows them to support local farmers and work with their ingredients. A centralized facility “does not help us make bespoke food for our different clients,” Adekunle tells Food Tank. “We want to use local foods.”
Once Forti Foods establishes itself in Nigeria, the company hopes to expand into other West African countries, including Ghana or Sierra Leone, to reach communities experiencing high rates of food insecurity. They also plan to develop new partnerships that can help them expand their reach.
“Leveraging partnerships with humanitarian aid that is already happening in East African countries like Kenya and Uganda would be amazing,” Adekunle says. She expressed excitement about creating more unique solutions in places where providing aid to the malnourished is already challenging, like Chad and Niger.
Forti Foods also plans to research to more effective ways to address nutrient deficiencies. They hope to work with a university to lead these studies and further establish Forti Foods as a “first-choice” in malnutrition solutions, according to Adekunle.
“In the current market where fortification has become a buzzword, where so many different items are actually fortified, we’re more curious to see how much of that transfers into good for our beneficiaries,” Adekunle says.
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Photo courtesy of Forti Foods
