The ProblemMore than 2 billion people in the world do not get enough essential vitamins and minerals (micronutrients), such as vitamin A, zinc and iron in their daily diets. Their condition is known as “hidden hunger” because those suffering from this type of undernutrition often appear healthy, but are actually more vulnerable to illness and infections. In severe cases, hidden hunger can leave children blind, stunted, or with areduced IQ, and increase a woman’s risk of dying during pregnancy. It is estimated that Nigeria loses over 450 billion naira in GDP annually to vitamin and mineral deficiencies alone and ranks 156th out of 187 countries on the Human Development Index (Government of Nigeria 2014; World Bank 2009)

Source: Global Prevalence of Vitamin A Deficiency in Population at Risk 1995-2005: WHO Global Database on Vitamin A Deficiency (http://www.who.int/vmnis/en/)

GLOBAL HIDDEN HUNGER

Why nutritious foods?Food is essential for good health and growth. Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have. We must connect the dots between nutritious food, health, income, women empowerment and GDP growth

Our vision as HarvestPlus - Is a world free of Hidden Hunger

Our mission as HarvestPlus Is to tackle hidden hunger on a global scale by breeding vitamins and minerals into everyday food crops. We work with partners to build sustainable food systems and bridge the gap between agriculture and nutrition

The solutionConventionally, three interventions (dietary diversification, supplementation and food fortification) have been deployed to contain hidden hunger in Nigeria. The cost of implementing a nationwide scale-up of effective nutrition-specific interventions has been estimated at over 250 billion naira annually. As it is unlikely that the government or its partners will invest this amount to reach full national coverage, it is important to consider complementary interventions that are efficient and sustainable.

A new approach to solving the problem - Biofortification HarvestPlus and its partners have developed new varieties of staple food crops that provide higher amounts of vitamin A, iron, or zinc to consumers. This process is known as biofortification. A total of 18 biofortified varieties comprising 6 vitamin A cassava, 8 vitamin A maize, 2 orange sweet potato and 2 iron & zinc sorghum, which were bred conventionally, have been released officially in Nigeria and over two million farmers are estimated to be growing them. For this pioneering work four scientists working on biofortification, led by Dr Howard Bouis - the immediate past Director of HarvestPlus, were recognized as World Food Prize laureates in 2016. The World Food Prize for 2017 has just been awarded to another advocate of biofortification, Dr Akinwunmi Adesina, the President of the Africa Development Bank, who said at a global forum in Kigali ‘For me, the challenge is no longer the science of biofortification – we know it works; our challenge as policy makers is to scale up biofortified crops to reach millions of households through institutional, regulatory and financial policies’

www.nutritiousfoodfair.org 2

EntErprisEs for job crEation

Flash dryer for medium & large scale processing of starch, odourless fufu & HQCF

Mechanised farming and weed control services

Automated roaster for medium scale processing of gari and flour

Manual roaster (stainless steel) for small scale processing of gari and flour Seed and raw material production

MAIZE

CASSAVA

Packaging and distribution of food products

Point of Sale for food and inputs - wholesale, retail and online

Online

Production and packaging of Combobite and other confectionery

www.nutritiousfoodfair.org3

Cross section of participant at NFF 2016

Exhibitors of nutritious foods at NFF 2016

Model of the largest nutritious cassava dish to be unveiled at NFF 2017

The 2017 Nutritious Food Fair HarvestPlus conceived the Nutritious Food Fair (NFF) as an umbrella advocacy and enterprise platform to drive the production, marketing and consumption of nutritious foods in Nigeria. The Food Fair, which is in its third edition, is designed to strengthen public and private sector partnerships towards attaining SDG 3 (Good Health & Wellbeing) and concurrently SDGs 1, 2 and 5 (No poverty, Zero Hunger, and Gender Equality).

The 2017 edition of NFF has the following specific objectives:

• Increase the production, value addition, marketing and consumption of more nutritious foods made from biofortified staple crops like vitamin A cassava, vitamin A maize, orange sweet potato and iron & zinc sorghum

• Exhibit and promote over 25 enterprises in the production and supply of nutritious foods, showing their profitability analysis

• Create over 3000 new job opportunities using successful private sector partners and Master Trainers to train and mentor participants, in addition to providing post-training technical support

• Strengthen value chain linkages by ensuring the physical presence of banks, seed companies, food companies, agri-input dealers, equipment fabricators, marketers and other relevant stakeholders

• Unveil the largest nutritious cassava dish towards creating a Guinness World Record

• Launch the ‘Smart Mother’ as an umbrella body to mobilise women to be nutrition sensitive

Participants will attend and be trained free of charge. However, each participant is required to register online at www.nutritiousfoodfair.org for this event. Other attractions at the Fair will include:• Grande-Finale of NutriQuiz competition for secondary schools• Grande-Finale of NutriCook competition for women and men• Grande-Finale of NutriYield competition for farmers • Best entertainers• Novelty match (male vs female advocates)

www.nutritiousfoodfair.org 4

Why you should attend the 2017 Nutritious Food Fair?The willingness to learn new skills is a personal decision. The depth of skill acquisition depends on the learning environment - this is what NFF 2017 will offer you (as shown in the table below). Ultimately, job creation will depend on people with skills, who have ideas and are willing to take business risks supported by friendly Government policies.

Stakeholders Exhibition and capacity area Key benefits to participantsSmall, medium and large scale farmers

Best bet agronomic and cost saving practices for high yield - setting up of small and medium commercial farms

• Acquire skills in setting up and managing successful farm enterprises

• Become a supplier of raw materials to industries Small, medium and large scale food processors

Diversity of foods and opportunities for investment, models of small and medium scale processing enterprises

• Acquire skills in setting up and managing small and medium processing enterprises

• Become a registered wholesaler or retailerSmall, medium and large scale seed producers

Diversity of available quality seeds (vitamin A cassava, vitamin A maize, orange sweet potato etc).

• Purchase seeds at competitive prices • Book seeds for planting in 2018 • Become a seed agent or producer in your community

Small, medium and large scale herbicide and fertilizer companies

Diversity and use of available herbicides for controlling weeds and fertilizers for boosting crop yields

• Purchase herbicides and fertilizers at competitive prices • Book herbicides and fertilizers for 2018 • Become a sales agent or weed control service provider in

your communitySmall, medium and large scale equipment manufacturers

Diversity and use of available equipment for crop production and food processing

• Purchase equipment at competitive prices • Become a sales agent • Acquire new skills in equipment fabrication

International and National Research Institutions

Demonstrate crop breeding methodologies (showing diversity of elite varieties) and associated production and postharvest technologies

• Acquire knowledge in plant breeding, variety targeting and food product development

• Establish linkages for student researchMaster trainers Training on business and financial management in

small and medium scale investments• Acquire knowledge in business startup, record keeping,

market analysis, labour management, profit margin estimates etc.

Development agencies

Share information on existing and future interventions in the agriculture, nutrition and health sectors

• Knowledge of on-going projects and opportunities for partnerships and integration

Government Share information on existing programmes and policies in the agriculture, nutrition and health sectors

• Acquire knowledge on food safety and standards, guidelines for certification and export, support programmes on input and micro-credit etc.

www.nutritiousfoodfair.org5

FLASHBACK - NFF CALABAR 2016

2016 NutriQuiz winner Government Girls College Calabar

NFF 2016 cultural dance competition

2016 NutriCook winner Mother Charles Walker Vocational School, Uyo

Advocates at NFF 2016 Calabar

www.nutritiousfoodfair.org 6

OUR PARTNERS - NIGERIASECTOR PARTNERSGovernment Ministries and Agencies

Federal and State Ministries (Agriculture, Health, Budget and Planning, Education, Women Affairs, Labour and Productivity, Sci-ence and Technologies and others) • Government Agencies ( ADPs, HGSFP, NDE, NOA, Fadama, SON, NAFDAC, NASC)

NGOs & CSOs Development Dynamics • DCHRD • ENVOY • Forward Africa • HEMADEP • RAPAC • SAWEC • GSARDI • JDPC

Research Institutes IFPRI • CIAT • IITA • CIP • ICRISAT • CIMMYT • IRRI • IAR&T • IAR • NRCRI

Academia Natural Resource Institute - UK • Wageningen University • University of Ibadan • Obafemi Awolowo University • Akwa Ibom State University • Federal College of Agriculture Akure • Anambra State College of Agriculture and others

Farmers Associations Cassava Growers Association of Nigeria • Cassava Processors Association of Nigeria • Maize Association of Nigeria • Maize Growers and Processors Association of Nigeria • Association of Vitamin A Cassava Entrepreneurs • Agriculture Graduates Association of Nigeria

Development Projects Market Development in the Niger Delta • IFAD Value Chain Development Project • Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition • Catholic Relief Services • Building Nutritious Food Basket • IFAD Climate Change Adaptation and Agribusiness Support Programme • West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme • IFDC-2SCALE

Seed companies Premier Seed • SeedCo • Gold Agric • Maslaha Seeds • Jirkur Seeds • Greenspore Seeds • Green Sahel Seeds and Agro Ventures

Food processing companies Niji Foods • Oyato Foods • Cato Foods • TopLife Foods • Olo Foods • Deep Launch • Bismonco Foods • Crowther Foods • Amazing Foods • Briel Jaco Foods • SAWEC Foods • Impact Foods • Aace Foods

Media Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria • National Television Authority • News Agency of Nigeria • African Independent Television • Nollywood – FAD Productions • State Radio Broadcasting Corporations • The Nations Newspaper • The Guardian Newspaper • ThisDay Newspaper

ICT & Online Market Newage Solutions • AgroShop

Paul Ilona, HarvestPlus Country Manager - Nigeria, c/o IITA Idi-Ose, PMB 5320, Phone: +234 8034576085, Email: p.ilona@cgiar.org

Ifeoma Okonkwo, HarvestPlus Advocacy & Events Officer – Nigeria, c/o IITA Idi-Ose, PMB 5320, Phone: +234 7039390279, Email: i.okonkwo@cgiar.org

Fidelis Duker, Head, Local Organising Committee, Phone: +234 8023188813, Email: fidelisduker@yahoo.com

Contact Information:

www.nutritiousfoodfair.org7

HarvestPlus improves nutrition and public health by developing and promoting biofortified food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals, and providing global leadership on biofortification evidence and technology. HarvestPlus is part of the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health (A4NH). CGIAR is a global agriculture research partnership for a fo0d secure future. Its science is carried out by its 15 research centers in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations. The HarvestPlus program is coordinated by two of these centers, the International Center for Tropical Agriculture(CIAT) and the International Food Policy Research Institute(IFPRI).

@harvestplus_ng @harvestplus_ng HarvestPlus.Nigeria| |Like. Share. Followwww.HarvestPlus.org