Three questions to Mandresy Randriamiharisoa, Managing Director of Nutri’zaza

Interview with Mandresy Randriamiharisoa, Managing Director of Nutri’zaza

Focus 2030 : Nutri’zaza stands out for its innovative approach to fighting malnutrition in Madagascar. Could you tell us about the company and explain your approach to combating malnutrition?

Mandresy Randriamiharisoa, Managing Director of Nutri’zaza :  In Madagascar, child malnutrition is a scourge that still affects too many children. Faced with this public health emergency, Nutri’zaza was born in 2013 with a clear mission: to offer Malagasy children a suitable and accessible diet to guarantee their healthy growth.

But Nutri’zaza is more than just a company: it’s a social enterprise that combines humanitarian commitments with a sustainable business model.

The story began before 2013, with development projects to combat malnutrition, led by GRET and financed by the French Development Agency. Building on the results obtained with the support of committed players such as TAF, SIDI, the APEM association and others, and aware of the limited sustainability of the projects, the initiative took on a new dimension: making access to quality food a reality for Malagasy children, regardless of their social background, through a social enterprise model.

Nutri’zaza’s flagship product is Koba Aina, a local porridge fortified with micronutrients. Specifically designed to meet the needs of children aged 6 to 24 months, this porridge helps prevent chronic malnutrition by meeting children’s daily requirements. Other products adapted to other targets have also been launched, such as Pobary Aina, a fortified cereal bar for children over 3 years of age, and Moosli Aina, the first muesli-type product made in Madagascar, designed to cover the nutrient needs of children aged 6 and over.

To guarantee maximum product availability, Nutri’zaza has set up 3 distribution networks to cover the entire country.

Nutri’zaza has developed a unique network of hotelin-jazakely, literally restaurants for babies. These centers, located in vulnerable neighborhoods, offer ready-to-eat porridges at affordable prices. It’s not just a restaurant; it’s also a place for exchange and sharing. Coupled with this network, Nutri’zaza has a network of animators from these same vulnerable neighborhoods, to ensure the daily distribution of Koba Aina to each family.

Secondly, to reach even more families, Nutri’zaza has also expanded its distribution. Today, through its traditional distribution network, its products are available in more than 8,200 outlets across Madagascar: small grocery stores, supermarkets, etc. The objective remains the same: to give every family easy access to a nutritious and appropriate diet.

And finally, to reach the most isolated areas, Nutri’zaza, through partnerships with NGOs and associations, reaches thousands of children.

This multi-network approach ensures real food inclusion. In the space of a decade, more than 105 million meals have been distributed, and the company now has some 273 employees working passionately every day for a future without malnutrition.

Nutri’zaza’s slogan is “A social enterprise at the service of Malagasy children and families”, but far beyond the nutritional aspect, Nutri’zaza aims to help children and parents realize their dreams.

Focus 2030 : What are the main nutritional challenges facing Madagascar today? What objectives has Nutri’zaza set itself to help meet these challenges?

Mandresy Randriamiharisoa :  The main nutritional challenge facing Madagascar today is chronic child malnutrition. But it’s not the only one. In addition to taking many forms, malnutrition affects several areas such as child malnutrition per se, and problems such as anaemia, micronutrient deficiencies and food insecurity which affect a large part of the population, particularly the most vulnerable.

Faced with this situation, Nutri’zaza has been committed for years to providing concrete, accessible solutions. In line with Madagascar’s National Nutrition Policy, which aims to reduce chronic malnutrition, improve access to quality food and raise families’ awareness of good nutritional practices, Nutri’zaza offers several solutions.

Nutri’zaza’s approach is both simple and effective. Firstly, by developing fortified foods, adapted to the needs of children and the various targets of malnutrition, produced with local raw materials, respecting international and local standards of quality and nutrition, available everywhere, and above all at an affordable price, even for the most vulnerable.

Nutri’zaza also relies on an innovative distribution network to reach families directly. The hotelin-jazakely, as mentioned in my previous answer, these small baby restaurants set up in disadvantaged neighborhoods, offer balanced meals to thousands of children every day. Added to this is door-to-door sales by local animators, who not only make the products available everywhere, but also raise families’ awareness of the importance of a balanced diet.

Beyond nutrition, Nutri’zaza also plays an economic and social role.

By employing over 275 people, 75% of whom are women, the company enables many families to earn a stable income. These women, often from the same neighborhoods as the beneficiaries, are trained in good nutritional practices and become essential relays for spreading awareness messages.

Nutri’zaza’s objective for the coming years is ambitious, but achievable: to reach even more children and families by stepping up the distribution of fortified products, multiplying the number of hotelin-jazakely, offering a range of socially useful services in addition to nutrition, and innovating to meet the nutritional needs of Malagasy families ever more effectively.

Madagascar will only be able to overcome malnutrition with sustainable and appropriate solutions, and Nutri’zaza, through its model, intends to be a key player in this fight.

Focus 2030 : The Nutrition for Growth Summit, to be held in France in March 2025, aims to mobilize a wide range of stakeholders - governments, international organizations, civil society, the private sector and research - to make political and financial commitments to nutrition. What concrete commitments would you like to see made to combat malnutrition?

Mandresy Randriamiharisoa :  The fight against malnutrition in Madagascar relies on a collective mobilization in which each player must play a complementary role.

Members of the private sector such as Nutri’zaza, who are already contributing by producing and distributing fortified and enriched foods, cannot fully succeed in their commitments without strong support from the government and a dynamic of collaboration with other stakeholders.

This support must be translated into commitments, which must be accompanied by an environment conducive to investment and innovation, but above all by transparency in management and governance. Concrete measures must be put in place to encourage the private sector, notably by facilitating access to financing, introducing tax incentives (such as tax exemption for mineral-vitamin supplements), reinforcing food fortification standards, and setting up control systems to avoid marketing effects with no social impact. Policies that encourage the integration of locally fortified nutritious products into public programs, such as school canteens and food security initiatives, are also essential to ensure large-scale impact.

For these commitments to be translated into concrete results, a genuine synergy between the various players is required. Collaboration between the private sector, public institutions, researchers, civil society and technical and financial partners is essential to structure effective, sustainable actions. It’s not just a question of juxtaposing initiatives, but of making them complementary, sharing knowledge and joining forces to maximize the impact of the efforts undertaken. Innovation in the field of nutrition needs to be supported by appropriate public policies, funding needs to be directed towards high-potential projects, and strategies need to be developed in concert to ensure a coherent and inclusive approach.

The N4G Summit represents a unique opportunity for Madagascar to assert its determination to transform itself by making these commitments part of a sustainable approach.

It is no longer enough to declare intentions, but rather to take in-depth action to ensure that nutrition becomes a genuine lever for economic and social development. Only a strong political will on the part of the State, a coordinated approach and a collective commitment will enable us to guarantee every Malagasy sustainable access to healthy, nutritious food.

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