Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English en
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

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)

This project has not yet been classified with EuroSciVoc.
Be the first one to suggest relevant scientific fields and help us improve our classification service

Keywords

Programme(s)

Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

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

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

UNIVERSITEIT GENT
Net EU contribution
€ 675 121,00
Address
SINT PIETERSNIEUWSTRAAT 25
9000 Gent
Belgium
Region
Vlaams Gewest Prov. Oost-Vlaanderen Arr. Gent
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
No data

Participants (16)