Known to those in the global health sector as “hidden hunger,” undernutrition is an underlying cause of death for more than 2.6 million children a year, claiming a third of all child deaths globally.
In the developed world, undernutrition is addressed through fortification of staple foods such as flour and salt, though this intervention — often a joint effort between industry and government — is almost as hidden as the disease it seeks to eradicate.
Organizations like the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the World Health Organization and others continue to battle malnutrition and encourage governments to adopt the practice of food fortification in hot spot countries.
At the #FutureFortified Global Summit on Food Fortification in Arusha, Tanzania in September, Devex associate editor Richard Jones asked experts what the future will look like for food fortification in the ever-shifting landscape of aid priorities and global trends.
What will the nutrition sector and efforts to counter undernutrition look like in 15-20 years? Give us your perspective by leaving a comment below.
Future Fortified is a special online series presented by Devex, in partnership with GAIN, exploring the impact and importance of food fortification to meet global development objectives. Visit the campaign site and join the conversation using #FutureFortified.
About the author
Molly Andersmollyanders_dev
Molly Anders is a U.K. Correspondent for Devex. Based in London, she reports on development finance trends with a focus on British and European institutions. She is especially interested in evidence-based development and women’s economic empowerment, as well as innovative financing for the protection of migrants and refugees. Molly is a former Fulbright Scholar and studied Arabic in Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Morocco.