Matam — The Government of Senegal and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today launched the distribution of fortified rice in schools to address micronutrient deficiencies, improve children's health and wellbeing, and promote quality education. Financially supported by DSM-FIRMENICH - a Swiss-Dutch company specialized in nutrition - the rice fortification initiative targets an initial 236 primary schools supported by WFP in Senegal including 101 schools in the Department of Matam. Throughout the 2024-2025 school year, over 30 mt of rice enriched with vitamins and micronutrients will be distributed to the targeted schools, allowing 61,000 students to access a healthy and nutritious diet as recommended in the government's food fortification strategic plan.
"The government will be more involved and interested in extending this project to the regions of Kolda, Sédhiou, and Matam, where rice production potential is enormous, and micronutrient deficiencies are most prevalent," said Amadou Sall DIAL, Director of Industrial Redeployment (DRI) and President of the Comité Sénégalais pour la Fortification des Aliments en Micronutriments.
In Senegal, micronutrient deficiencies are a major public health problem, with 71 percent of children aged 6 to 59 months and 54 percent of women aged 15 to 49 suffering from anaemia. In 2018, WFP conducted an analysis of food fortification to identify opportunities for overcoming these deficiencies. As a staple food widely consumed in Senegal, rice offers a promising means for delivering essential vitamins and minerals to the population.
"Micronutrient deficiencies are entirely preventable," said Pierre Lucas, WFP's Representative and Country Director in Senegal. "In areas like Matam where rice is a staple food and micronutrient deficiencies are widespread, fortifying rice with essential vitamins and minerals can significantly fill the nutrient gap and improve children's wellbeing."
To produce fortified rice in Senegal, WFP has partnered with a local manufacturer - Agritech International Sarl. WFP has also strengthened the technical capacities of Société Sénégalaise des Filières Alimentaires (SFA), installing a rice fortification machine on the company's production line and helping SFA to obtain a marketing authorization (FRA) issued by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Overall, in West and Central Africa the nutritional situation remains worrying, with an increase in the burden of acute malnutrition due to fragile food systems, unaffordable healthy and nutritious diets, limited access to health services and sanitation, and poor hygiene practices. Dietary diversity is a major concern with 8 out of 10 children under the age of 2 not eating the minimum diversity of foods they need for optimal growth and development.
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Collaborating with national governments, local producers, and the private sector, WFP is working to scale up fortified rice production and distribution, contributing to local food solutions for better nutrition, job creation, and economic development. This initiative supports WFP's broader vision of food sovereignty and resilient food systems in the region.
