What We Do

Our Mission

We are a non-profit that brings public, private, and civic sector stakeholders together to fortify industrially milled wheat flour, maize flour, and rice globally.

Let's rewrite the story: partner with us to nourish the potential of millions. We can reach more than 1 billion people over the next five years with your support.

By implementing successful fortification programs around the world, we can prevent 200,000 potential neural tube defects and 151.4 million cases of anemia among women of reproductive age annually--creating a stronger, smarter, and healthier future for all.

<Donate button>

How You Can Help

$200,000: Support a two-year project to ultimately reach 80 million people in Türkiye with fortified wheat flour

<Learn more button>

$1 million: Pilot a three-year initiative that will reach 146 million people in West Africa with fortified rice (involves work in West Africa and in Asia, where the imported rice is milled)

<Learn more button>

#7 million: Support a five-year project to build and strengthen food fortification programs in the Pacific Islands and reduce the prevalence of vitamin and mineral deficiencies for 20 countries/territories in the region ($600K to pilot a project in one country)

<Learn more button>

$13 million: In four years, reach people in 43 countries in Africa with fortified wheat flour, maize flour, and/or rice using innovative business models and sustainability plans that position each country with the ability to own, operate, and shape the program long into the future

<Learn more button>

Spread the Word

• Follow us on social media, share success stories, and be an advocate for food fortification <web version, links & icons>

• Share about us <Link to doc of fundraising flyer>

A Global Challenge

Vitamins and minerals are the building blocks of a healthy life. Yet, across the globe, billions of people lack sufficient access to these vital nutrients. One in 2 preschool-aged children and 2 in 3 women of reproductive age worldwide suffer from at least one vitamin or mineral deficiency. A pressing challenge in high-, middle-, and low-income countries, vitamin and mineral deficiencies can have devastating consequences.

Our Strategy

Large-scale food fortification—the addition of vitamins and minerals to food as it is processed—is one proven, sustainable, and cost-effective strategy that has been used in countries worldwide for more than 100 years to reduce vitamin and mineral (micronutrient) deficiencies.

The Food Fortification Initiative (FFI) provides technical assistance to governments, regional bodies, food producers, implementing agencies, and others to plan, implement, and monitor fortification of industrially milled wheat flour, maize flour, and rice. Foods can be fortified with many different vitamins and minerals, such as iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12, and can transform the health and future of billions. Preventing micronutrient deficiencies through interventions like food fortification have a positive impact on individuals and nations, including:

• Health benefits for everyone: Fortification is a safe nutrition intervention proven to build resilience to infections and strengthen health at every point in life—from conception to aging.

• Strengthened maternal and child health: Essential micronutrients like iron and folic acid play a crucial role in preventing birth defects such as spina bifida and reducing severe anemia, which doubles the risk of maternal death.

• Smart growth: Nutrient-fortified foods support healthy physical and cognitive development for children.

• Nutrition resilience to climate change: Rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events disrupt agricultural production, reducing the availability and quality of micronutrient-rich foods. Food fortification can help ensure that individuals, particularly vulnerable populations, have access to the micronutrients they need to maintain good health.

• Economic empowerment: Reducing severe anemia and other consequences of micronutrient deficiencies improves productivity, reduces healthcare expenses, and accelerates economic growth.

Large-scale food fortification is recognized as one of the most cost-effective development strategies that exist. Every dollar invested in reducing chronic undernutrition yields a $30 payoff (Copenhagen Consensus). Food fortification builds a stronger future, helps countries reach sustainable development goals, and saves lives.

Our Impact

• 69M Estimated cases of anemia averted for women of reproductive age in countries where FFI works

• 140K Estimated cases of folic acid-preventable birth defects averted in countries where FFI works

• 94 Countries who have mandated cereal grain fortification

• 33 Countries supported by FFI’s fortification expertise since 2002

• 9 Sustainable Development Goals addressed through large-scale food fortification

Donors and Partners

Illustrating Impact: Fortifying the Future in the Solomon Islands

From 2015 to 2021, with support from the Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, FFI provided technical assistance to the Government of the Solomon Islands, millers, and other partners to strengthen implementation of the country’s mandatory wheat flour fortification legislation (established in 2010) and to support the planning, implementation, and monitoring of mandatory rice fortification (established in 2018). FFI provided thorough training and support to millers and government personnel to ensure fortification was sustainable, effective, and country-owned.

Key Activities

FFI and partner efforts to build high-impact and self-sustaining fortification programs in the Solomon Islands included training and supporting the Solomon Islands Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) to implement audit and inspection requirements for wheat flour fortification, as well as promoting, justifying, and facilitating changes to legislation to introduce fortification of rice. These efforts were overwhelmingly successful; after implementation, monitoring assessments indicated that nearly all producers and importers complied with rice and wheat flour fortification standards.

Partnerships

The project was made possible by robust public, private, and civic sector partnerships.  Partners included high-level Solomon Islands government officials from the following agencies:

• MHMS (Maternal and Child Health Division, Environment Health Division, Health Promotion Division, Public Health Laboratory, Non-Communicable Disease Division)  

• Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Quarantine Division)  

• Ministry of Finance and Treasury (Customs Division)  

In addition, partnerships included senior representatives from: Delite Flour Mill, Solomon Rice Company Ltd, World Health Organization, Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

[1] Food Fortification Initiative. Solomon Islands celebrates strong compliance to fortification standards. 2022.

[2] Food Fortification Initiative. 2019 Annual Report.