Miller Magazine Issue: 115 July 2019

48 MILLER / JULY 2019 Greg S. Garrett Greg S. Garrett directs Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition’s (GAIN) largest portfolio comprising food financing and policy projects in over 20 countries in Africa and Asia. He also serves as Head of GAIN Switzerland. Greg led the establishment of GAIN’s Nutritious Foods Financing Platform helping unlock commercial investments in Africa. Before joining GAIN in 2011, Mr Garrett spent over a decade in senior management roles at Abt Associates, Palladium and PSI, including five years living in Asia designing and delivering development programs. Mr Garrett is on the Board of the Iodine Global Network (IGN) and on the Executive Management Team of the Food Fortification Initiative (FFI). Greg holds a BA, and an MSc in International Development from the University of Bath, UK. Director, Food Policy & Finance Head of GAIN Switzerland Unfortunately, there may be more than two bil- lion people still deficient micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). People need micronutrients to grow and be healthy. Vitamins and minerals are critical to better functioning immune systems, improved cognition and optimal growth and development. One of the most cost-effective ways to ensure regular intakes of vitamins and minerals is via the fortification of commonly consumed staple foods. The incremental cost per person per year is low, at about $.12 for wheat and maize fortified with iron and folic acid. Globally, we have seen incredible scale up of the fortification of maize flour and wheat flour. Today over 80 countries fortifying these vehi- cles via mandates. The fortification of maize and wheat flour is literally reaching billions of individuals with improved intakes of micronutrients. What has this led to? A new systematic review and meta-analysis of 50 studies the recent the impact of large-scale grain fortification programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). These have helped achieve a 34% reduction in anemia from improved iron stores as well as a 41% decrease in the odds of neural tube defects due to reductions of folate deficiency among women of reproductive age. “Life-saving vitamins and minerals should be made available through fortifiedgrains to thebillions around theglobewho suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. This should be a rallying call to industries, to governments, donors, and other stakeholders. We must continue to enact and enforce fortification legislation and work together to boost quality and coverage of existing programmes and industry can self-regulate. We must measure and understand what works where and why.” Fortifying grains: Where do we stand and what is next?