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Valid Nutrition – A Truly Unique Social Enterprise …
Valid Nutrition (VN) is the only humanitarian company in the world exclusively manufacturing and distributing a range of ready-to-use therapeutic foods on the African Continent. These foods are designed to both treat and prevent severe acute malnutrition. Containing a mix of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and 26 different nutrients, they do not require mixing with water or any other liquid and can be eaten directly from the sachet pack. Because bacteria cannot grow in the packs, they can be stored safely for over 12 months without the need for refrigeration. As well as being highly convenient, children find these innovative nutritional pastes delicious. Those treated with the pastes make a complete recovery within six weeks and do not relapse.
"Valid Nutrition (VN) is the only humanitarian company in the world exclusively manufacturing and distributing a range of ready-to-use therapeutic foods on the African Continent. These foods are designed to both treat and prevent severe acute malnutrition."
Additionally, VN is truly unique in terms of its innovative business model. While it is a registered Irish charity, it nevertheless operates as a fully fledged commercial food business, with the same governance and financial controls in place and with an extremely experienced management team, including a CEO who has held senior finance roles with Unilever in Africa, the Middle East, the UK and Ireland. The fact that Valid Nutrition has no shareholders – allied to its status as a registered charity with related tax advantages – means that it can re-invest all profits generated by its activities in furthering its humanitarian aims.
In keeping with its humanitarian ethos, VN’s local production approach to the prevention and treatment of malnutrition is fundamental. Apart from manufacturing in developing countries, where possible the company sources ingredients for its products from indigenous small-holder farmers and local suppliers. This brings major advantages in terms of cost, quality, speed of supply and critically, a beneficial multiplier effect to local economies – a sustainable approach in the broadest sense.
"Where possible the company sources ingredients for its products from indigenous
small-holder farmers and local suppliers."
Currently, VN’s operations employ some 80 people in Africa, Ireland and the UK. With its own plant in Malawi and collaborative production with established local food producers in Kenya and Ethiopia, it plans to have a fourth manufacturing plant operational in West Africa by end 2010. There are plans for expansion to the Indian Continent in the near future. There is also a major emphasis on Research and Development where a three year program, supported by Irish Aid, is well underway to develop new products for the treatment and prevention of a range of nutritional needs. In this and all respects, the company’s activities are driven by evidence-based data on impact and results.
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