The programme began in 2008 and was instigated by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and BASF with GIZ working on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
“The long-term consequences of vitamin A deficiency for the people concerned range from a permanently weakened immune system to infectious diseases and blindness,” said Michael Heinz, member of the board of executive directors at BASF and responsible for the Performance Products segment, which includes the Nutrition & Health division.
“The initiative has enabled us to improve the nutrition situation for many millions of people. SAFO shows that public-sector development aid and the private sector can successfully work together to develop and implement solutions to reduce malnutrition.”
Dirk Niebel, the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, added: “The number of malnourished people in the world has risen from 817 million in 1990 to 925 million last year. The vast majority of them live in rural areas. Rural areas were ignored for decades. However, rural areas are not a burden that’s best ignored, but a real opportunity for development.”
Others like Vitamin Angels and DSM Sight and Life have also worked extensively to combat the deficiency that affects up to 60% of under-5s in the developing world.
