"By bringing together their strengths, the entrepreneurs of the PlumpyField® Network offer new sustainable solutions to malnutrition. We know that by multiplying our efforts, we can reduce the 5 million child deaths caused by malnutrition each year."
Adeline Lescanne, Deputy General Manager, Nutriset - Washington D.C - June 9, 2011
On the occasion of the 2011 Global Health Council Conference, the PlumpyField® Network, producers of targeted nutritional solutions like Plumpy’Nut®, will host a special discussion on the need for innovation and political action in the fight for child health and nutrition. Leaders and entrepreneurs from the PlumpyField Network will discuss how they work to ensure these nutritional products reach the children who need them most. The event has been held on Tuesday, June 14, at 11 a.m. at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St., NW.
Representatives include:
- Adeline Lescanne, deputy general manager of Nutriset and manager of the PlumpyField® Network
- Navyn Salem , executive director of Edesia, the U.S.-non-profit member of the network
- Dr. Patricia Wolff, executive director of Meds & Foods for Kids, the newest non-profit member of the network, based in Haiti
Major themes to be addressed:
Food aid must no longer hinge on traditional systems based on shipping surplus food commodities from the developed world. PlumpyField encourages increasing production of targeted nutritional products specifically tailored to the needs of affected populations directly in the countries where they are most needed. Despite positive steps outlined in reports from both USAID and WFP, more needs to be done to ensure that instead of sending US surplus commodities, local economies are strengthened..
Success will require global cooperation and leveraging support from the private sector.This will foster development and provide the funds needed for critical research in developing countries. The PlumpyField® Network is a promising example of the importance of this approach. All network members produce the highest-quality products that meet or surpass international standards.
Sustainability is only possible by raising awareness, creating the political will and obtaining the needed financial support. Today, the PlumpyField® Network has a production capacity that greatly exceeds funded or programmatic demand. Because of the lack of awareness and lack of funding, the demand for this critical product remains much too low and children who might be saved by these products continue to die needlessly without them. It will take significant political and financial reform to provide programs and NGOs working in aid and responsible for distributing these products, with the resources they need to reach the children they serve.
Ready-to-Use Foods (RUFs)have played a significant role in targeted interventions and address acute and chronic malnutrition but there is still room and great need for research and innovation. It is essential to promote collaboration and support for these efforts for a sustainable and effective solution to malnutrition
