The WFP, with a $1 million DSM Sight and Life donation in pocket, is in advance stages to deliver the rice to the countries, said Nils Grede, senior policy officer and deputy chief in the WFP’s policy and strategy division at the nutrition and HIV/AIDS unit.
“Rice is the only major staple food in the world that we are currently not fortifying…” said Grede. “In Asia given that we have not actually known until recently how to fortify rice we’ve not been able to deliver those micronutrients to our beneficiaries. This donation will allow us to start pilot programmes in two countries in Asia – Bangladesh and Cambodia.”
Vitamin A, iron and zinc are some of the key nutrients being delivered along with, “a bunch of the B vitamins”.