Key Takeaways
- The World Food Programme (WFP) is implementing a sustainable food initiative in the Republic of the Congo focused on children’s nutrition.
- Locally produced mbala pinda bars, made from peanuts and cassava, serve to improve food security and nutrition in schools.
- Collaborations and training for local women’s cooperatives enhance production efficiency and food safety, impacting thousands of children.
Innovative Nutritional Solutions
The World Food Programme (WFP) is pioneering a new approach to humanitarian aid in the Republic of the Congo by developing local food processing and supply chain infrastructure, particularly for a nutritional bar aimed at children. The initiative, which began in 2019, is centered on producing mbala pinda— a traditional Congolese snack made from peanuts and cassava. This shift in strategy is designed to promote long-term food security and improve children’s nutrition amidst growing challenges.
The Republic of the Congo, characterized by its extensive tropical rainforests, heavily relies on imports for its food supply, with approximately 70% sourced externally. The pandemic exacerbated food supply disruptions, leading to rising food prices and declining incomes for farmers. In response, the WFP enhanced its support to schools, introducing cash vouchers for purchasing locally made mbala pinda bars from women’s cooperatives, thereby supporting local economies.
Mbala pinda bars are crafted by blending peanut paste with cassava flour, salt, and spices, then wrapped in biodegradable Marantochloa purpurea leaves and steamed. Each 50 gram bar provides around 210 calories and essential nutrients like protein and magnesium, with a short shelf life of one week. The WFP partnered with Stop Hunger and Tailored Food to improve production viability, transitioning traditional, labor-intensive methods to more efficient commercial practices with the use of equipment like mechanical grinders.
In addition to boosting production efficiency, the collaboration helped establish a food safety guide for mbala pinda production. Key measures implemented included hand sorting peanuts to minimize aflatoxin contamination and employing drying processes to reduce potentially harmful compounds in cassava. By June 2020, over 160 women from 16 cooperatives received training in food safety and operations management, which significantly enhanced their production capabilities.
By October 2020, this program had successfully provided around 3,400 children with nutritious mbala pinda bars, totaling over 33,000 bars distributed by 2021. Initially, WFP funding was intended as a temporary response to the pandemic, but the program’s sustainable framework has created lasting improvements in food access, health, and income opportunities for local communities. The initiative demonstrates the potential for humanitarian efforts to evolve into long-term solutions for food security and nutrition in vulnerable regions.
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