DSM, World Vision Partner to Nourish Millions of Vulnerable Children

HEERLEN, The NetherlandsRoyal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, and World Vision, a global development organization, today announced a partnership to nourish the world's most vulnerable children. By 2016, the DSM-World Vision partnership aims to contribute to the reduction of the 165 million children under age 5 years across the globe who are stunted.

Both organizations jointly leverage their expertise, resources and reach in order to address undernutrition, which is the root cause of stunting and one-third of preventable child deaths. The partnership between DSM and World Vision will focus on fortifying staple foods like maize, wheat and rice with essential micronutrients. Food fortification has been recognized by economists and health experts as one of the safest and most cost-effective ways to improve the nutrition of whole populations.

"As the world's leading producer of vitamins and other micronutrients we have a clear responsibility to help solve the globe's most solvable problemhidden hunger. Our partnership with World Vision will help provide nourishment to millions of vulnerable children. We will begin our work together in Tanzania, where we will fortify flour and build local capacity and understanding to provide genuinely sustainable solutions," said Royal DSM's Managing Board Member Stephan Tanda.

The flagship of the partnership is the Miller's Pride project in Tanzania's Dar es Salaam, which will fortify maize flour with essential micronutrients, reaching a population of millions. In addition to the fortification, DSM and World Vision will work with the millers to build business expertise, improve food safety and increase markets and profits for the millers.

Without adequate nutrition in the 1,000 days between a woman's pregnancy and her child's second birthday, the damage to that child's physical and mental development is largely irreversible. Currently one-third of children under age 5 years in developing countries suffer stunting. The organizations also will work to ensure nutrition for mothers and children is high on the agenda of global decision makers.

"We believe our unique partnership with DSM will save lives, while improving children's educational achievement and future earning potential," said World Vision International President Kevin Jenkins. "Evidence shows nutrition is the best investment we can make to achieve lasting progress in global health and development."