Project paper, regional : Near East private sector regional nutrition project (298-0334)

The project will be implemented by a U.S. food industry firm and, in Yemen, by the Yemen Chamber of Commerce. The project will emphasize improvements in child, infant, and maternal nutrition. Initial activities will be conducted in Yemen. Following a review of existing literature on Yemen"s nutritional problems, in-country assessments of these problems will be conducted, with special attention to how they can be addressed through marketing, distribution systems, and education and training. Based on the results of these studies, the U.S. firm will hold a series of conferences and workshops with Yemeni firms on the role of food processing, marketing, and education in the improvement of nutritional status. Educational films, videotapes, and audio tapes on nutritional problems will be produced. The Yemen Chamber of Commerce will assist in the dissemination of these materials, which will include broadcasts over national radio and television. In addition, a survey will be conducted of Yemeni practices in food processing and fortification, and the U.S. firm will provide short-term TA to Yemeni businesses to improve food processing, fortification, distribution, and marketing. The project will also mount mass media campaigns to publicize those processed foods and pharmaceuticals best suited to solving key nutritional problems. Finally, the U.S. firm will explore possibilities for investment and cooperative U.S./Yemeni ventures in food processing and other nutrition-related areas, and will refer interested firms to trade and investment programs for possible funding. Some in-country and/or overseas training may be provided under this project, but training funds will also be available the planned USAID/Y Development Training project. The project will also fund preliminary visits to other Near East countries to present the project concept to Missions and to food and nutrition sector organizations. At least two additional countries (perhaps Jordan and Morocco) will be included in future project activities.