UNICEF and partners launch First Foods Africa, a bold initiative to end child food poverty and malnutrition

Cotonou, Benin – 28 September 2025 – In partnership with the African Union, the Government of Benin, other governments in Africa, regional bodies and private sector leaders, UNICEF has launched First Foods Africa. This pioneering continental initiative aims to address child food poverty and malnutrition.

Globally, 181 million children under five live in severe food poverty, meaning they consume at most two out of eight defined food groups, which is insufficient for physical growth and cognitive development. Nearly a third of these children, or 59 million, live in sub-Saharan Africa. This lack of essential nutrients in early childhood contributes to persistently high rates of stunting and wasting across the continent. First Foods Africa is designed to change this reality. By investing in local producers, shaping enabling policies and fostering collaboration between multiple stakeholders, the initiative aims to make nutritious, safe, affordable and sustainable first foods available to every child in all contexts in Africa.

“This is a transformative moment for Africa’s children,” said Omar Abdi, UNICEF Deputy Executive Director. ‘With the support of political leaders, the private sector and local communities, First Foods Africa will lay the foundation for stronger human capital, economic growth and long-term resilience across the continent.”

Improving children’s first foods, food environments, and food practices requires innovative and large-scale approaches. Recent UNICEF-supported surveys of packaged food products for young children in Africa found that that the vast majority of the products are imported, cereal-based, and high in sugar and additives.

The initiative is built on an integrated three-dimensional strategy: 

1. Incentivizing local production of high-quality, nutritious, safe, affordable, and sustainable first foods and food supplements for children.
2. Shaping policy environments to improve food standards & regulations and ensure access to nutritious foods for the most vulnerable children.
3. Stimulating adequate consumption to increase demand and make nutritious, locally produced foods the aspirational and accessible choice for caregivers.

"The African Union Commission welcomes the launch of the First Foods Initiative, a transformative step toward eradicating child malnutrition and building resilient food systems across our continent. We commit to partnering with UNICEF and Member States to scale these efforts, ensuring no child on the continent is left behind” said Prof. Julio Rakotonirina Director, Health and Humanitarian Affairs, African Union Commission.

The Initiative is anchored in the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the Malabo Declaration on Nutrition, through the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Framework, and the Africa Regional Nutrition Strategy (2015-2025), which collectively underscore the centrality of child nutrition to Africa’s human capital and socio-economic transformation.

First Foods Africa is a game-changing initiative. It sets out to reshape how countries tackle child food poverty and malnutrition, moving beyond traditional aid models, adopting market-based approaches to attract capital investment for local companies and reshaping food systems.

Multimedia materials available here : Materiels Presse FFA