Fighting malnutrition and rebuilding Afghanistan’s food industry at the same time

Soybeans

The United States Department of Agriculture, and various organizations such as the American Soybean Association (ASA) who are involved in the promotion of soy will come together to implement a project worth $26 million dollars in Afghanistan. The project aims to fight against malnutrition and help rebuild Afghanistan’s food industry. ASA Board member Scott Fritz, a soybean producer from Winamac, Indiana says in a press release: “We are excited to help Afghan farmers rebuild their infrastructure while we make healthy food available to their fellow citizens and to build a market for soy. Diets will improve and soy consumption will increase as Afghan agriculture and the local economy develops. When this happens, everybody wins.” 

Under the project, Afghanistan will be provided with 240 metric tons of defatted soy flour over the next three years to meet the immediate nutritional needs of thousands of Afghans. There will also be shipments of 6,000 metric tons of soybeans over three years, so Afghan soybean processing facilities can use the soybeans to produce soy flour and soybean oil for consumption by the local market.

Soy is a cheap and healthy source of protein.  A California based organization, Nutrition and Education International Inc. (NEI) has been encouraging small bakeries in Afghanistan to use 10 percent soy flour in the production of Afghan bread (naan). Dr. Steven Kwon who is a nutrition scientist and the founder of NEI says, “Adding 10 percent soy flour increases the absorbable protein of the naan by 110 percent.”

March 4, 2010 · admin · No Comments
Posted in: Afghanistan's Economy, Reconstruction and Development

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