Programs & Projects

Also working with Ruli District Hospital, a  value chain and market analysis was conducted to assess the feasibility of developing a locally procured and processed Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) to address the challenge of severe acute malnutrition amongst children in Rwanda. The work focused on three main components – (1) ingredients feasibility; (2) the RUTF market; (3) operational and production capacity.

Conclusions: Some but not all of the principle ingredients can be procured entirely locally, with other ingredients either readily available to import or feasible locally with time. The market is vast, though incumbent competitors and regulatory requirements make entry challenging. There are important advantages to locally organized procurement and production, including outreach and education with local farmers, better risk-sharing and contractual performance, and overall ease of coordination.