Collaborating to combat childhood malnutrition in Rwanda

Tetra Pak East Africa is supporting its customer Inyange Industries, in collaboration with Rwanda’s National Child Development Agency, to improve access to safe nutrition among children and boost the local economy.

The fight against childhood malnutrition

Childhood malnutrition is a pressing issue in Rwanda, with 38% of children under five facing chronic malnutrition and 37% suffering from anaemia.¹ These statistics highlight a significant barrier to the nation’s future economic productivity and development. For policymakers, addressing childhood malnutrition is a critical step towards securing the wellbeing of future generations and promoting national growth.

In response, the Rwandan government has prioritised child nutrition as a cornerstone of its strategy to combat malnutrition and hunger. Its National Comprehensive School Feeding Policy aims to provide educational opportunities, especially for disadvantaged children from low-income families, while supporting local agricultural development.

UHT technology promotes nutritional access

To tackle the dual challenges of food safety and access to safe nutrition, Tetra Pak East Africa customer Inyange Industries signed an agreement with Rwanda’s National Child Development Agency to address food safety issues and access to safe nutrition for children. Tetra Pak Food for Development is providing technical assistance and sharing best practices used in school feeding programmes worldwide. The collaboration aims to deliver two million litres of Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) milk to schools and early childhood development centres throughout the country.

UHT technology is a key enabler. By processing and packaging milk in Tetra Fino® Aseptic cartons, milk can be stored without refrigeration for six months, while still retaining vital nutrients such as protein, calcium and vitamin D. This is particularly important in regions with unreliable electricity and a lack of cold chain infrastructure to ensure that even children in remote areas have access to safe, nutritious milk.

Healthier kids, brighter futures and thriving local economies

Regular access to nutritious milk not only improves children’s health but also encourages school attendance and helps to boost literacy rates. Additionally, the development of the local dairy value chain creates jobs and sustainable livelihoods for smallholder farmers and helps reduce rural poverty.

“The challenge of providing all Rwanda’s children with safe, adequate nutrition is no small task,” said Jonathan Kinisu, Managing Director – Tetra Pak East Africa. “To be effective, it requires cooperation between the public and the private sectors. Each organisation participating in this collaborative initiative has something valuable to contribute.”

Expanding access to safe nutrition

With a vision to serve UHT milk to 100,000 children across Rwanda, this initiative is just the beginning. The next phase plans to diversify the variety of food products for children by developing innovative and affordable nutritious formulations. Through public and private collaboration, Rwanda is taking a significant step to improve childhood nutrition, ultimately building a brighter, healthier tomorrow for its youngest citizens.

¹ Demographic and Health Survey by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, the Ministry of Health, and ICF International (2015).

Enhancing smallholder dairy productivity and self-sufficiency in Colombia

Following successful Dairy Hub projects around the world for many years, a new project in Colombia is helping Tetra Pak customers to connect with local smallholder farmers – to build a more sustainable dairy value chain.

In the Cauca Department, Southwestern Colombia, only around 10% of the milk produced is formally collected, which is a major challenge for the regional dairy industry. The three-year Cauca Dairy Hub project together with a public-private partnership, aims to support the devel- opment of the region’s dairy sector.

The public-private partnership will improve the economic conditions of smallholder farmers by providing technical training and access to the formal market through Tetra Pak customers. The partnership includes local dairy processors Alpina and Alival, the Embassy of Sweden, Swedish International Development Agency (Sida), the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Tetra Pak Colombia and Tetra Pak Food for Development.

Strengthening the local dairy industry

“This joint programme promotes sustainable cattle farming that avoids deforestation, improves the quality and productivity of milk thereby improving quality of life of indigenous and peasant communities in a conflict affected region, while promoting stable suppliers for the dairy industry,” explained Helena Storm, Ambassador of Sweden in Colombia.

The first phase of the project was initiated in 2024 with baseline data showing that more than half of the 338 farms in the scope of the project belong to indigenous families and 42% are led by women. The objective of the project is to increase farm productivity and income by 20%.

The three-year Cauca Dairy Hub project together with a public-private partnership, aims to support the development of region’s dairy sector.