Posted on September, 4, 2018 at 10:28 am
According to WFP country representative Michael Dunford, the idea follows an analysis by the global food agency that there are big opportunities for innovation among Tanzanian entrepreneurs which, if properly utilized, can help in ending malnutrition.
“We believe that we can do better if we get the best ideas and find a way to make them work on a large scale, at the same time having the best innovators to work with,” said Dunford in an interview with The Guardian over the weekend.
He said the process is an extension of WFP efforts to deal with hunger around the world through people-centred strategies.
According to him, WFP already helps around eight million people in Tanzania on an annual basis, and the aim is to expand this further.
The WFP Innovation Accelerator identifies, supports, and scales high-potential solutions to hunger worldwide.
“We provide WFP entrepreneurs, start-ups, companies and NGOs access to mentorship, training, financial support, expert insights, and WFP operations,” Dunford explained.
WFP announced earlier this year that it was working with authorities to integrate Tanzania into the universal methodology for measuring food security so as to facilitate a quick international response whenever a food shortage situation occurs.
During the 2015-16 financial year, WFP commissioned a comprehensive Zero Hunger Strategic Review on food security and nutrition in Tanzania, based on the targets of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 dealing with the eradication of hunger.
The findings of the review highlighted a role for WFP in fostering a more integrated, systematic approach to national food security.
WFP Tanzania’s current Country Strategic Plan (CSP), which is an update on the previous plan, runs from July 2017 to June 2021.
The CSP design has been informed by the comprehensive analysis conducted with a broad range of stakeholders to identify country-specific needs and priorities in the fight to eliminate hunger and malnutrition.
Source: IPP Media