Consultant for Comprehensive Overview on Salt Iodization and Rice Fortification Programs
1. BACKGROUND
Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) is a Swiss-based foundation launched at the UN in 2002 to tackle the human suffering caused by malnutrition. Working with both governments and businesses, they aim to transform food systems so that they deliver more nutritious food for all people. In particular, they aim to make healthier food choices more desirable, more available, and more affordable. GAIN’s mission is to advance nutrition outcomes by improving consumption of nutritious and safe food for all people, especially the most vulnerable to malnutrition.
Indonesia has a high burden of malnutrition, including micronutrient malnutrition. There are three key strategies to address micronutrient deficiencies i.e.
· Dietary Diversification
· Micronutrient Supplementation and
· Food Fortification.
Food Fortification is the process of adding micronutrients to the foods at industry level so that it can reach everyone. Salt is one of the main commodities for food fortification, in addition to flour and cooking oil, and has been mandated for over 20 years. However, national overview of availability and consumption of iodized salt is not updated. The availability of sufficiently iodized salt is still low (2013: 43%). Poor awareness, processing, procedures and capacity of salt farmer, small and medium processor who sell salt for consumption is one of the causes. There is also low priority and capacity for monitoring and law enforcement from FDA and districts government.
Other than the commodities mentioned above, rice is one that government is currently focussing to be fortified with several vitamins and minerals. This is because micronutrient deficiencies still becomes major public health problem in Indonesia. There are 48% of pregnant women and 28% of children under 5 are anemic. 20% of pre-school and school-aged children were found to be suffering from subclinical vitamin A deficiency.
Rice is chosen because it is the main staple in Indonesia with a consumption 569g per capita. As many as 15 million poor household received 15 kg/month subsidized rice. The national government has included fortification as one of priority interventions to improve availability, access, and quality of food related to stunting prevention strategy in the National Mid Term Development Plan 2020-2024. However, industrial rice fortification is voluntary and without umbrella and technical policies yet.
Hence, in order to have better understanding and comprehensive overview, GAIN seeks consultancy services to conduct the landscaping of food fortification program in Indonesia.
2. OBJECTIVE
To have comprehensive overview on salt iodization and rice fortification programs, strategic plan, business models for industrial fortification, and commercialization of biofortified rice
3. WORKING DESCRIPTION
The key activities of this consultancy are:
· Landscape analysis of most recent food fortification policy, program coverage, business model, implementation, and strategic action plan in Indonesia
· Assessment of drivers and barriers of supply and demand for iodized salt, industrial fortification and biofortified rice among value chain actors and potential to integrate and scale up to social safety net programs.
· Assessment for commercialization of biofortified rice.
4. DELIVERABLE
· Approved landscape analysis and assessment protocols
· Assessment report of supply and demand for iodized salt and rice fortification
· Assessment report for commercialization of biofortified rice
5. TIMELINE
The collaboration will be started in December 2020 and the contracted agency is expected to complete all works by March 2021.
6. CONTACT AND SUBMISSION
The interested candidates should submit:
· A technical proposal explaining their comprehension of the RFP, and how they would approach this assignment, the methodologies, and approach, including timeline to conduct overall assignment.
· Team composition, including the division of role and responsibilities with CV of all team members.
· Availability period.
· A financial proposal outlining their expected fees and other related costs for travel and all necessary activities.
· Samples of similar previous assignments.
Please submit your proposal to GAIN (email: gainindonesia@gainhealth.org) by 3 December 2020. For more information, please contact Aang Sutrisna (asutrisna@gainhealth.org).
