DEADLINE: 4TH OCTOBER, 2021
GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR IMPROVED NUTRITION (GAIN)
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
DEVELOPMENT OF A CATALOGUE AND NUTRIENT PROFILES OF BIOFORTIFIED PROCESSED FOODS CONTENTS
PROJECT BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF WORK
ABOUT GAIN AND HARVESTPLUS
The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with both governments and businesses, we aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people. At GAIN, we believe that everyone in the world should have access to nutritious and safe food. We work to understand and deliver specific solutions to the daily challenge of food insecurity faced by poor people. By understanding that there is no “one-size-fits-all” model, we develop alliances and build tailored programmes, using a variety of flexible models and approaches. We build alliances between governments, local and global businesses, and civil society to deliver sustainable improvements at scale. We are part of a global network of partners working together to create sustainable solutions to malnutrition. Through alliances, we provide technical, financial and policy support to key participants in the food system. We use specific learning, evidence of impact, and results of projects and programmes to shape and influence the actions of others.
At HarvestPlus, we believe that hidden hunger should not be inevitable for the people most at risk. We breakdown silos between agriculture and nutrition to develop creative solutions to hidden hunger. Our food-based approach targets some of the most vulnerable populations around the world. We use a process called biofortification, which adopts conventional breeding to improve crops. This approach complements other nutrition interventions, and is evidence-based, cost-effective, and sustainable. We work across the entire value chain to develop and deliver nutrient enriched seeds, grains and foods to the people who need it the most via a large collection of innovative and traditional supply chain activities. HarvestPlus is part of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH). CGIAR is a global agriculture research partnership for a food secure future. Its science is carried out by its 15 research centres in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations.
GAIN and HarvestPlus share an ambition to expand coverage of biofortified nutrient dense foods to at least 190 million consumers by 2022, realizing a higher reach of up to three times this (600 million) from the initial investment by 2028. The current focus will be on biofortified varieties of six highly promising crops, developed by HarvestPlus and its partners. These crops form the frontline cluster of sentinel nutritious staple crops to be considered for commercialisation at scale by the partnership. We define commercialisation – the priority delivery approach – as the process of introducing a product into commerce or making it available in the market, rather than producing solely for family consumption.
BACKGROUND
Biofortified1 varieties of various crops, such as wheat, pearl millet, maize, cassava, beans, and rice are potential vehicles for increasing zinc, iron, and vitamin A intake, that could significantly reduce the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies around the world. The current assumptions related to the micronutrient profile of biofortified foods and food products are based on evidence under controlled settings and with biofortified foods that have undergone minimal processing.
PROPOSAL SUBMISSION 4 OCTOBER 2021
