Superfood for the Hungry Petition

Please hold hearings, pass laws, and change the current mindset concerning the food we export as food aid. Provide incentives to manufacturers capable of creating and producing their own version of plumpy'nut. Plumpy'nut is currently produced in third world countries near sites that aid populations with widespread hunger and malnutrition. We need more plumpy'nut-like products - Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF's) can be used to treat malnutrition without clean water, without hospitalization, and without cold storage.

Target: United Nations Standing Committee on Nutrition (SCN) and the U.S. Government
Sponsored by: Superfood for the Hungry Campaign
Subject: Plumpy'nut

Olivier Longué, Executive Director from ACF Spain said, “We cannot continue to provide food aid that we would not give to our own children.”

Despite advances in nutritional science, international and national food aid still mostly consists of little more than cereal porridges of maize or rice, amounting to the equivalent of bread and water.

Severe malnutrition is a life threatening condition requiring urgent treatment. Until recently, the recommendation was to refer these children to hospital to receive therapeutic diets along with medical care. The situation changed recently with the advent of the Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) Plumpy'nut. It is expected that widespread use of Plumpy'nut to treat severely malnourished children with complications could transform the lives of millions of children.

We the undersigned petition believe that it is no longer acceptable to feed starving children porridge that has little nutritional value.

We propose that existing peanut butter manufacturers produce their own version of a Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) and that governments provide incentives for them to do so.

Signees