NAMA Food Aid Products
How it all Started
International food aid has been part of the U.S. foreign policy for more than 60 years. During World War II the U.S. government asked the milling industry for increased shipments of wheat flour to U.S. troops overseas. Following the war, the U.S. began donating wheat flour to the war-torn countries suffering from hunger. The U.S. wanted additional food aid products that were highly nutritious, easily stored, ready-to-eat and low cost. So, in collaboration with the milling industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed additional products. The products are manufactured by companies in the U.S., purchased by USDA, and donated to countries in need of assistance.
Today these specially formulated food aid products are used in emergencies and in development assistance programs. Blended and fortified foods provide immediate access to nutrition for at-risk populations; particularly children and the elderly. They are the preferred products for short-term nutrition interventions and emergencies, and on-site feeding programs. In longer-term supplemental distribution programs, no products are more nutritionally effective per dollar expended. These are the preferred products for school lunch and take home rations.
NAMA products are of great benefit to those who are suffering from chronic disease and HIV/AIDS. Nutrition levels have been directly connected to the effectiveness in the treatment of chronic diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. In many developing countries, the diets of those afflicted with AIDS lack the protein and micronutrients necessary to prolong livelihoods of the victims and their families.
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