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LOCAL, EQUITABLE, AND SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR CHILD MALNUTRITION IN AFRICA

Objective

LESS MALNUTRITION (Local, Equitable, and Sustainable Solutions for child MALNUTRITION in Africa) is a multi-country, multi-actor project that aims to transform the management of acute childhood malnutrition in Africa. The project focuses on scaling up the local production of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) and Ready-to-Use Supplementary Foods (RUSF) using nutrient-rich and culturally appropriate ingredients sourced from diverse African agroecological zones.

Millions of children across Africa still suffer from acute malnutrition, yet most therapeutic foods are imported, donor-dependent, and ill-suited to local food systems. LESS MALNUTRITION addresses this challenge by building decentralized, climate-smart food systems that deliver Codex- and WHO-compliant RUTF and RUSF formulated from locally available crops like soy and chickpea. By empowering African producers, manufacturers, regulators, and policymakers, the project aims to improve RUTF/RUSF supply chains, lower cost, and promote local ownership of nutrition solutions.

Structured around four integrated pillars—(1) Ingredient and supply chain mapping, (2) Food product formulation and processing, (3) Clinical pilot trial, and (4) Policy and systems integration—the project brings together partners from Africa and Europe, including NGOs, universities, national agencies, and private manufacturers.

LESS MALNUTRITION is not just about product development; it’s a systems-level intervention designed to spark innovation, support inclusive local economies, build regulatory capacity, and inform national and global policies. Through digital tools, training, and co-creation with stakeholders, the project aims to ensure long-term, sustainable access to life-saving nutritional interventions—leaving no child behind.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Keywords

Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL6-2025-02

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Coordinator

UNIVERSITEIT GENT
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 675 121,00
Address
SINT PIETERSNIEUWSTRAAT 25
9000 GENT
Belgium

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Region
Vlaams Gewest Prov. Oost-Vlaanderen Arr. Gent
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data

Participants (17)

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