Kerry Group has extended its association with Concern Worldwide in the form of a four-year partnership worth €1m to improve food security and nutrition in Niger.

Niger, located in west Africa, is rated by the UN as one of the world’s least developed countries and is one of the worst-performing countries on the Global Hunger Index.

Supported by Kerry and implemented by Concern, a “Realigning Agriculture to Improve Nutrition” (RAIN) programme will be introduced which aims to make lasting improvements to food security, nutrition and the overall livelihoods.

Tahoua

The Tahoua region is one of the two poorest in the country. It is a largely rural and arid region of predominantly small-scale farmers who are dependent on rain-fed subsistence agriculture.

The RAIN programme has the objective of increasing food production and encouraging a more diverse, nutrient-rich diet. It also works to promote key health practices for improved maternal and child nutrition, improve access to reliable and safe water sources and reduce inequalities experienced by the extreme poor and vulnerable, particularly women and girls.

Kerry previously ran the first phase of the RAIN programme in Zambia.

Support

Speaking at the launch, Kerry Group chief executive Edmond Scanlon said the extension of the RAIN programme was in keeping with Kerry’s ambition to support better nutrition for all.

He said: “Many of the world’s poorest people are beyond our direct reach. The RAIN programme offers practical support to some of those most affected by hunger and malnutrition.”

Concern Worldwide international programme director Anne O’Mahony said: “With Kerry Group’s support, Concern has the opportunity to build on the learnings from RAIN in Zambia by extending development programming to a new country, with a continuing focus on integrating sustainable agricultural and nutritional practices.”

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