As part of the « Promotion of family farming in West Africa – A Helping Hand » programme by the Comité français pour la solidarité internationale (CFSI) (in French), Fondation de France is consolidating its support for the social enterprise project for the sale of fortified products to prevent malnutrition (Laafi Benre) (in French) initiated in November 2015 in Burkina Faso by GRET and its partners.
In Ouagadougou, the majority of families in poor peri-urban areas have very little access to quality food and appropriate products to feed their children properly, and thereby prevent malnutrition. Sales of local fortified foods in urban areas are still weak compared to existing market shares and the requirements of the population. The solution lies partially in making quality local fortified foods available, together with access to adequate information on feeding practices for infants, young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women. The innovation rolled out – Laafi Benre – makes it possible to facilitate the development of short distribution chains via an innovative marketing method in urban areas, consisting of selling locally manufactured products directly to the consumer, through the sole intermediary of kiosks and mobile sales women.
Thanks to this new support, GRET is conducting a diagnosis with the partners concerned to formalise this social enterprise model for the sale of local fortified foods, with a view to upscaling.
