Tag: UNICEF

Interview with Edesia’s Maria Kasparian about Anti-Hunger Foods

April 20, 2026      Plumpy’Nut has become one of the most recognizable tools in the fight against severe acute malnutrition among young children around the world.  Plumpy’Nut is one brand of the broader food type called “Ready to Use Therapeutic Food”, or “RUTF.”  RUTFs have been a key topic in recent articles in Hunger Notes; nonprofits have used RUTFs in the Sudan, Gaza, Haiti, Afghanistan and in other countries in need.

In the United States, one of the leading producers is Edesia, the Rhode Island–based nonprofit that manufactures Plumpy’Nut and related products for UNICEF,  the World Food Programme, and NGO partners, while also participating in a wider global network of therapeutic food producers.
Following are selections from WHES’ interview with Ms. Maria Kasparian, Edesia’s Executive Director in 2023, about Edesia and now head of Strategic Partnerships.  The interview highlights several of these trends: rising interest in alternative formulations using ingredients such as soy, corn, chickpea, or millet; debate over procurement rules; the slow pace of agency adoption; and growing recognition that the challenge is not only making therapeutic food, but also building efficient supply chains that can deliver it where children need it most.

WHES: Thank you so much for taking time out to talk with us today. What should our readers know about Edesia?

Kasparian:  One of Edesia’s mandates is to educate and advocate global nutrition. We have school field trips, work with senators, channel our programming through Scouting America, and we do advocacy work in DC.
We produce in the US, taking with PL 480 (Food Aid) funds. We are producing 1.2 million packets of Plumpy’Nut each day. Edesia has had a ticker of how many children that our products have reached since we started producing in March 2010 – and distributing through partners. Today we are at 19.9 M children reached with full treatments. Our goal is to reach a total of at least 10 M more children within 2023 and 2024.

We’re also part of the “PlumpyField network” of partners in ten partners, spanning Madagascar, India, and other countries. We work to help these producers in other countries, such as Ethiopia and Haiti. For instance, we support Meds and Foods for Kids in Haiti. There are now 22 producers worldwide of RUTF, and each uses slightly different formulations.

WHES: Do all the producers of Ready to Use foods follow the same formulae?

Kasparian: Across the 22 suppliers of foods, there are no two formulas that are identical. But as long as we meet the robust recommendation, we’re okay.
Even within the PlumpyField Network, there are tweaks. There are differences, depending on what’s available locally. For example, you have to achieve certain omega-3 to omega-6 balance with the fats. You need to do that. The vegetable oils are important. You can get different kinds of vegetable oils depending where you are. There might be some variety there. You might have different forms of milk powder available. You might have different forms of whey available that have different amounts of protein. You’ve got to balance the formulas, depending on what ingredients you have available. But they’re very similar. We’ve actually done taste tests where we meet and have everybody’s and we blindly try to guess whose is who. So, they’re a little different, but the difference is small. But the formulations do vary a little bit. There will be a greater degree of difference with those outside the network formulations are.

WHES: Thank you. So, how do donors specify what they want or accept new ideas for specialty foods to address malnutrition?

Kasparian: Well, the Interagency oversight group (UNICEF and WFP) have discussed for many years, having a common standard. It’s the long game. Over time, things do get accepted. Governments and the U.N. don’t move quickly. So generally, though, progress does happen. It just happens slowly. You keep pushing, and over time, things do improve. So you must continue innovating.
The Tufts Food Aid Quality Review study comparing the effectiveness of different foods looked at RUTF (compared Corn Soy Blend or CSB+ with fortified vegetable oil (CSB+ w/oil), Corn soy whey blend (CSWB) with fortified vegetable oil (CSWB w/oil), and Super Cereal Plus with amylase (SC+A)) for the treatment of moderate malnutrition.  The cost-effectiveness was similar between the products, and caregivers had a slightly lower of their own opportunity costs when using RUTF.  The main conclusion was that NGOs/programmers should pick the products that would be most appropriate for their contexts.

WHES: Is it only about the formula of the food composition?

Kasparian: The ecosystem is not only about making RUTF, but also about improving the supply chain. Customs fees for incoming fees mean that local production is not necessarily cheaper. You know, it’s cheaper to get our foods from here to South Sudan than it is from Khartoum to South Sudan. As well, we’re shipping a lot to Somalia right now.

WHES:  Has demand grown for your RUTF?

Kasparian: We have doubled the numbers of kids getting treatment. Most of it goes to Africa, over 70%. Our main goal is to reach more kids. The price of RUTF was going down significantly before the Covid-19 pandemic. As background, 70% is the cost of the ingredients. In 2005 a box of RUTF cost $55 but we brought that down to $35 a box in 2019.

WHES: How is it working with UNICEF and WFP?

Kasparian: One of the barriers we face is the way that Unicef and WFP work together. They work differently and in different places.

WHES: How do you relate to other producers in other countries?

Kasparian: We are a U.S.-based producer. We’re a non-profit U.S.-based producer, and that we care a lot about having a good balance of what’s coming from the U.S. and what is coming from local and regional procurers, and that balance is really important. And we do various things to support these
suppliers in other countries. We work particularly closely with Meds and Food for Kids in Haiti. We help them with their formulations. We just help them to get their codex, upgraded codex specification in order. We help them with procurement of raw materials. We help them troubleshoot from a maintenance engineering perspective.

WHES:   Edesia has a history going back to Tanzania, right?

Kasparian: Yes.  Before we set up a factory in the U.S., we established one in Tanzania, which, unfortunately, is no longer operational, but was, for about five years.  Thus, our experience kind of went that way. Our founder, Navyn Salem, has family roots in Tanzania.  Her father and three generations of the family are Indians who lived in Tanzania for a period of time. Ms. Salem’s father was born and raised in Tanzania before he came to the U.S. on a USAID scholarship for college.  This leads me to another interesting part of the story: USAID is really responsible for Edesia’s existence. Her father, and therefore she, would not be in the U.S. if not for USAID. The U.S. factory, Edesia, was an afterthought to Tanzania because, at the time, USAID’s Food for Peace, was looking to have RUTF and RUSF suppliers in the U.S. because they wanted to be able to use the Title II PL-480 funds for nutrition-specific commodities like RUTF, RUSF. Which, at the time, this is 2008, 2009, at the time, no one was making in the U.S. And there was a push to improve the food aid basket of what was coming out of the U.S. And to take more vulnerable groups into account and to add these nutrition-specific commodities. So, they kind of approached us and others to say, hey, can you do this in the U.S.?

WHES: Do you engage much with the public here in the U.S.?

Kasparian: Our factory doors are open. We have school field trips come through. We have senators and congresspeople whenever we can. We have Scouting America, Rotary Clubs, and the like. And then we also do advocacy work in D.C. around global nutrition.

New Approach to Controlling Malnutrition in Somalia

Childhood malnutriiton can be addressed by their communities via an initiative in Somalia developed by the “Maternal, Infant, Young Child and Adolescent Nutrition (MIYCAN) working group and fostered by UNICEF and the federal department of health of Somalia in the Horn of Africa.

As of early 2026, the malnutrition has grown in Somalia, driven by a combination of persistent conflict, high food prices, and climate-related shocks like the failure of recent rainy seasons.  In the current cycle (extending through July 2026), an estimated 1.85 million children are estimated to be suffering from acute malnutrition, a 12% increase compared to previous seasons.  Of these, an estimated 425,000 severely wasted.

Potentially a model for other countries, MIYCAN moves beyond treating sick children at clinics to preventing malnutrition via Community Health Workers. It integrates nutrition with early childhood development, play, and disability-inclusive care.

Rolled out in January 2026 this new framework includes “a standardised five‑day training curriculum that strengthens pre‑service and in‑service capacity.  The framework reinforces the role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) as frontline nutrition counsellors, supported by 40 newly developed, culturally appropriate counselling cards designed to enhance caregiver engagement and promote positive behaviour change at both household and community levels.”

It represents Somalia’s first national guidance for feeding infants and young children with physical or neurological difficulties, ensuring “no child is left behind.”

It occurs as UNICEF and its partners increase their use of SQ-LNS (Small Quantity Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements) and Mother-Infant MUAC Tape.

see:  https://www.unicef.org/somalia/press-releases/somalia-redefines-child-survival-launch-2026-maternal-infant-young-child-and

Key U.N. Updates Show Alarming Hunger Trends

Recent UN annual reports and updates about global hunger highlight several important issues and trends as we move into 2026:

WFP will prioritize feeding 110 million in 2026 despite larger need: Declines in global humanitarian funding are forcing WFP to prioritize food assistance to roughly one-third of those in need. In 2026, the agency aims to reach 110 million of the most vulnerable at an estimated cost of $13 billion, but current funding forecasts indicate WFP may only receive close to half that goal. (Source: here)

318 Million People Acutely Food Insecure: WFP also tried to explain updated statistics about hunger such as “Across 68 countries where WFP operates and data is available, it is estimated that 318 million people will be acutely food insecure in 2025.” (Source: here)

Malnutrition in Darfur: There are no WFP humanitarian partners left on ground and no verified reports that any community kitchens are operating, and WFP assisted around half a million people in the Tawila in November. Across Darfur we have consistently reached around two million people per month – half of whom are in North Darfur, in areas surrounding El Fasher.” (Source: here)

Myanmar faces rising displacement and unacceptable hunger levels in 2026: The people of Myanmar already face dire levels of hunger; a place where mothers cannot afford enough food to sustain their health, and malnutrition has become a new reality for thousands of children. More than 400,000 young children and mothers with acute malnutrition are surviving on nutrient-deprived diets of plain rice or watery porridge.  “Conflict and deprivation are converging to strip away people’s basic means of survival, yet the world isn’t paying attention,” said Michael Dunford, WFP Country Director in Myanmar. “This is one of the worst hunger crises on the planet, and one of the least funded. We cannot allow this level of suffering to remain invisible. The scale of need is far outpacing our ability to respond.” (Source: here)

Drought conditions are intensifying in Somalia: UN OCHA finds that Because of funding shortfalls, the number of people receiving emergency food assistance in Somalia has plummeted from 1.1 million in August to just 350,000 in November. Puntland authorities report that 89 supplementary feeding sites and 198 health and stabilization centers are experiencing severe shortages of supplies. Forecasts indicate the situation could worsen further. In a forecast covering 13 to 18 November, the FAO Somalia Water and Land Information Management (SWALIM) program projected that dry conditions will persist across much of Somalia, with isolated light rains in southern regions. Central and northern regions will remain mostly dry and hot.   The drought comes in the midst an already dire humanitarian situation. At least 4.4 million people—more than one-fifth of Somalia’s population—are projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity between October and December. An estimated 1.85 million children under 5 are expected to suffer acute malnutrition through July 2026. (Source: here)

Surging conflicts, rising hunger, global funding cuts, and collapsing basic services are driving humanitarian needs for children to extreme levels worldwide: UNICEF’s Dec. 10 annual Humanitarian Action for Children 2026 (HAC) appeal launched asking for US$7.66 billion is urgently required to provide life-saving assistance to 73 million children – including 37 million girls and over 9 million children with disabilities,  across 133 countries and territories next year.  Global humanitarian funding has deteriorated dramatically in 2025. Announced and anticipated funding cuts by donor governments are already limiting UNICEF’s ability to reach millions of children in dire need. Severe shortfalls in 2024 and 2025 are forcing UNICEF to make impossible choices. Across UNICEF’s nutrition programming alone, a 72 per cent funding gap in 2025 forced cuts in 20 priority countries – reducing planned targets from more than 42 million to over 27 million women and children. (Source: here)

FAO’s new Global Emergency and Resilience Appeal seeks $2.5 billion to support 100 million people in 54 countries: FAO’s December Global Emergency and Resilience Appeal for 2026 finds that acute food insecurity has tripled since 2016, even with high levels of humanitarian funding. The current model simply does not keep pace with today’s realities” the Director-General said. “Supporting farmers to maintain production is critical to ensure food availability. When farmers can keep producing, communities stabilize and the path to resilience becomes real.”  Around 80 percent of people facing acute food insecurity live in rural areas, relying on farming, herding, fishing or forestry. Yet only 5 percent of humanitarian food-sector funding supports agricultural livelihoods—a persistent imbalance that traps families in a cycle of crisis and dependence. Strengthening local food production improves food availability, supports markets, creates jobs, and stabilizes communities—especially in countries such as Sudan, South Sudan, Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Source: here)

Hunger Increases Even Further in The Sudan

August 28, 2025:  Aid agencies estimate that malnutrition in Sudan increases in scale, depth and scope.  Much of the reporting comes from the far western region of Darfur, where, between January and May 2025, North Darfur saw a 46% increase in children admitted for SAM treatment at health centers compared to the same period in 2024 — with over 40,000 children treated in just that region.

As a result of 2 1/2 years of civil war, over 14 million Sudanese have been displaced by violence, both internally and across borders.  In the largest camp for displaced persons, Zamzam in North Darfur,  Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reported devastating malnutrition rates — as high as 29–30% acute malnutrition, and high mortality (e.g., one child dying every two hours.  Similarly,  Save the Children reported a nearly fourfold increase in severe acute malnutrition cases seen in one South Kordofan clinic from June 2023 to June 2024, with 1,457 children admitted in June 2024 alone.

Though access by international organizations to children in this large, rural country is limited, UNICEF estimates that some 3.2 million children under 5 may have  acute malnutrition in 2025, including about 770,000 experiencing Severe Acute Malnutrition, meaning they are extremely wasted.

The U.N.’s advisory body about famine, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported 25.6 million people in the Sudan are food insecure, and of those, 8.5 million are in Emergency (Famine degree Phase 4) and another 755,000 are in Catastrophe/Famine (Famine degree Phase 5).

Humanitarian access is greatly constrained, with persistent fighting preventing deliveries of food or supplies into many areas, notably in Darfur, Khartoum, and regions with large numbers of internally displaced person.

Concern Worldwide is supporting 81 health facilities across Sudan, particularly in West and Central Darfur, treating children under five for acute malnutrition, with a focus on delivering ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF).  Despite the destruction of Sudan’s only RUTF factory in 2023, Concern has secured and delivered 10 metric tons of RUTF to vulnerable communities. In 2024, they reached nearly 484,000 people with lifesaving health and nutrition support.