A unique initiative has been launched today by Kerry Group and the World Food Programme (WFP), the food assistance branch of the United Nations.
Under this partnership, the first between an Irish company and WFP, both parties have agreed to collaborate on a 3-year programme to be known as ‘Project Leche’. The project will focus on the nutritional enhancement of school meals for children in Honduras through the inclusion of sustainably produced dairy products.
Working directly with local communities and key national stakeholders, the project aims to support smallholder farmers in the production of safe and sustainable dairy products that can be used locally to optimise the nutritional content of school meals.
In Honduras, recurrent natural disasters and a susceptibility to the effects of climate change contribute to food insecurity. Weather extremes such as prolonged drought and hurricanes severely affect the ability of subsistence farmers to produce enough food to feed their families.
WFP has been supporting Honduran communities since 1970 and a core element of their work is the School Meals Programme. Funded largely by the Honduran Government and managed by WFP, this programme provides meals to 95% of the country’s total school population.
The programme supports access to education and reduces gender inequality, giving families an incentive to send their children to school. WFP’s Home Grown School Meals (HGSM) Programme goes one step further by purchasing food from small, local producers whenever possible, helping to strengthen local economies.
Through Project Leche, Kerry and WFP aim to improve the impact of the HGSM Programme in the project area, for both children and their local communities. The initiative, which forms part of Kerry Group’s broader sustainability programme ‘Towards 2020’, leverages the company’s key strengths and will apply its extensive nutritional, agricultural and processing expertise to support WFP in achieving the programme’s objectives.
Speaking at the launch, Minister for Agriculture, Food & the Marine Michael Creed said, "As a country, Ireland and its people have a long standing commitment to supporting those in need. I am delighted that Kerry Group, through its partnership with the World Food Programme, is continuing this proud tradition. Kerry’s partnership with WFP builds on Ireland’s core strengths in sustainable dairy production and I am sure that Kerry Group’s expertise will be of benefit to WFP in advancing its ongoing efforts to tackle malnutrition."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
