3 questions to Adeline Lescanne, Managing Director of Nutriset Group

3 questions to Adeline Lescanne, Managing Director of Nutriset Group

Adeline Lescanne, Managing Director of the Nutriset Group : The arrival of this ready-to-use paste product, rich in proteins, vitamins and micronutrients, in the mid-1990s, can be described as a “revolution”. Prior to its launch, doctors and nurses treating the most severely malnourished children had access to nutritional solutions such as F-100 and F-75 therapeutic milks, which we had developed a few years earlier in collaboration with teams of international nutritionists. But these treatments were very complicated to administer and, most importantly, had to be used with drinking water, which was not always easy. Children had to be hospitalized for weeks at a time, and a large staff was needed to monitor them and feed them every four hours. Families, especially mothers, often refused to be separated from their children.

The turning point came in 1994, during the Rwandan genocide. In the refugee camps in the DRC, humanitarian workers were forced to leave the nutrition centers at night. When doctors and nurses returned in the morning, it was to count the dead. We had to think of a different, ready-to-use formula.

Plumpy’Nut, used directly by children at home, became a real success, surpassing even the protocols for its use, quickly validated by the World Health Organization.

Plumpy’Nut, and the products derived from it, made it possible to strengthen the nutritional autonomy of patients and their families, as well as of countries where malnutrition was rife.

Aid workers treated more malnourished people, mothers regained an important role with their children, and governments were able to incorporate this easily distributed and locally produced treatment into their health policies.

With the conception and implementation of Plumpy’Nut, we also witnessed another kind of revolution: collaboration between three sectors that had little or no experience of working together on a regular basis: the academic community, that of researchers in the field of nutrition, who developed formulas in line with the evolution of knowledge on the mechanisms of malnutrition; the then emerging humanitarian sector, which provided assistance to children in the complicated context of conflicts, population displacements, disasters and famines; and finally, the private sector, the corporate world, represented by Nutriset, which was able to develop, scale up and widely distribute the products conceived by scientists and required by humanitarians.

Plumpy’Nut also became the symbol of a paradigm shift: the localization of production in the countries most affected by malnutrition. With investments upstream and downstream of the product, from the local production of the raw materials used in its composition (peanuts, soybeans and chickpeas) to the distribution systems set up to promote and strengthen nutritional autonomy for all.

Adeline Lescanne : The PlumpyField Network has proven to be the key to developing nutritional autonomy. When Nutriset was founded in 1986, manufacturing in the countries most affected by malnutrition seemed an obvious choice. But it wasn’t that simple. In fact, it seemed counterintuitive at the time. The obstacles to achieving significant production volumes were considerable. The agro-industrial infrastructure in these countries was scarce and ill-suited to our products. The local supply of raw materials such as peanuts, milk and sugar remained highly uncertain, both in terms of quantities to be supplied and the guarantee of superior quality. The general underfunding of these countries’ economic sectors also did not encourage investment in the business sector. Finally, local governments were generally unmotivated to integrate nutrition into their health policies. Humanitarians themselves, both NGOs and UN agencies, were reluctant. While they understood the benefits of having Nutriset products available in close proximity to their programs, they had serious doubts about the ability to manufacture them locally to the required quality standards. Additionally, our own financial backers in France expressed their doubts. Why be so eager to create your own competition in the countries that are now your customers?

We persevered because we believed that our products could be a lever for development in these countries if we could work with local entrepreneurs to add value to the entire value chain.

Based on the franchise model, and with our technical and financial support, entrepreneurs in these countries were able to manufacture Nutriset products to the same required quality standards. Purchased by United Nations agencies such as UNICEF and the World Food Program, international and national NGOs, and governments themselves, our nutrition solutions could then be more widely distributed locally.

Twenty years after its inception, the PlumpyField Network now helps to meet a very large proportion of the world’s annual demand for RUTF. It is a unique initiative and a sustainable model for thinking globally and acting locally. In the face of global warming, producing goods as close as possible to where they are needed, rather than shipping them from the Global North, significantly reduces the carbon footprint. Beyond job creation and the growth of economic activity, both upstream and downstream of the product, it also serves as a testing ground for plant-based raw materials, the development of tailored agro-industrial supply chains, and the implementation of innovative governance and service models.

It’s also a wonderful human adventure that allows business leaders from Nigeria to India, from Burkina Faso to Haiti, from Madagascar to Sudan, from the United States to Ethiopia, and of course France, to talk to and help each other, to work in synergy for a common cause: the fight against all forms of malnutrition.

Adeline Lescanne : To ensure credible and sustainable commitments, a rigorous framework has been established for all stakeholders participating in the Summit. Among these criteria, which include respect for human rights, UN sanctions, etc., several are specific to the agri-food industry:

• Fully comply with the Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (the Code) for companies that manufacture, sell and promote breast-milk substitutes.
• Derive less than 40% of their sales or product portfolio from ultra-processed products high in fat, sugar and/or salt, as defined by a WHO nutrient profile model
• And for companies that market food and beverages, have policies in place not to advertise to children under the age of 18.

In fact, these rules automatically exclude many "Big Food" companies that are an integral part of the food system and have an undeniable nutritional impact. This framework is designed to avoid greenwashing by certain actors who might make trivial commitments in proportion to the negative externalities they generate.
Companies that do not meet these criteria are, of course, encouraged to improve their practices by refraining from advertising breast milk substitutes or complementary foods, implementing strict policies aimed at enhancing their product portfolios in all markets, and ensuring that ultra-processed or overly rich products account for less than 40% of sales or product portfolios by the next edition of N4G.

Several options exist to help more companies meet the requirements:

• At the consumer level, individuals can be more selective about the foods they purchase and consume, provided they have the means to do so. This goes hand in hand with improved nutrition education.
• At the state level, there should be both incentive policies (prioritizing and facilitating businesses with a positive impact) and restrictive policies (such as taxes on sugary drinks and regulations on food advertising directed at those under 18), while ensuring overall policy coherence. For example, in France, given the rise in non-communicable diseases, is the subsidization of sugar beet cultivation consistent with the recommendation to consume less sugar?
• Finally, companies and governments alike, must recognize that nutrition is a particularly profitable area.

  The World Bank estimates that for every $1 invested, the return is $23. All companies involved in food systems, and those who are somewhat concerned about their role and responsibility, can choose to redirect their efforts towards a healthier and more resilient world.

NB : The opinions expressed in this interview do not necessarily reflect the positions of Focus 2030.