ofi delivers nutritional boost to 100,000+ people in nuts supply chains
London
olam food ingredients (“ofi”), a global leader in naturally good food & beverage ingredients reached over 105,000 people in its cashew and hazelnut supply chains with health and nutrition support last year – one of several milestones published today in its first ‘Nuts Trails’ impact report, which shares 12 months of progress data towards its 2030 cashew and hazelnut sustainability goals.
Nuts have seen a resurgence in popularity as plant-based foods gain international momentum. Consumers are opting for cashews and hazelnuts, as well as almonds, over other plant-based options like soy and oats because of their taste and perceived nutritional benefits1 . Yet the farmers and their families that are producing these nuts in countries like Côte d’Ivoire and Turkey don’t always have the means to meet their own health and nutrition needs. For this reason, ofi deploys its local teams in producing countries to provide nutrition training, advice and health screenings to thousands of farmers, workers, and their families.
In Côte d'Ivoire for example, where malnutrition contributes to the stunted growth and development of 1 in 5 children2, ofi’s cashew team partnered with the National Nutrition Program (PNN) to geo-locate and screen over 2,500 children in cashew communities using the newly developed Infant Malnutrition System Alert (IMSA) smartphone-based application. As a result, 49 moderate and acute cases were identified and referred to healthcare facilities. 10 boreholes were also installed to provide communities with access to safe drinking water.
In Turkey, which produces two-thirds of the world’s hazelnuts and relies on a large migrant workforce for the harvest season, over 1,500 female workers received health screenings and advice by ofi social workers to diagnose and prevent conditions such as diabetes and anemia.
