ALAFIA I - Nourishing Benin's Future Program

pipeline

Rationale and Context: Good nutrition is foundational for jobs, empowering individuals with the health and nutrients needed to learn, develop skills, and perform effectively in the workplace. However, Benin continues to face serious nutrition and human capital challenges, with over 30% of children under five suffering from chronic malnutrition and high rates of anemia among children adolescent and women, which continues to impair their physical and cognitive development and hinder future productivity and economic opportunities. These issues are exacerbated by poverty, food price volatility, and limited access to diverse, nutritious foods. Poor feeding practices, low exclusive breastfeeding rates, and high prevalence of infectious diseases further worsen the situation. Gender inequality worsens nutrition challenges, as women—who provide most agricultural labor—have limited access to land and resources, restricting their ability to improve household nutrition. Their lower socio-economic status and long working hours also reduce time for childcare. Governance is a major challenge, as nutrition goals are often overlooked in sectoral plans and budgets due to poor integration and coordination across ministries. Resource allocation is consistently inadequate, with limited specialized staff and weak steering capacity, while funding streams are unpredictable and partner efforts lack effective coordination. Policies remain fragmented, focusing on isolated interventions instead of a comprehensive, multisectoral approach. Climate change further threatens food security, with frequent droughts and floods impacting agricultural yields. Despite national warning systems, agricultural actors remain vulnerable due to inadequate risk management. Other factors include poor access to health services and water, hygiene, and sanitation services as well as improving access to quality and nutritious foods.Investing in nutrition yields high returns, with every US$1 invested in undernutrition expected to generate US$23 in economic benefits, and each dollar spent on the national integrated school feeding program can generate up to 5.2 dollars in GDP returns, especially when linked to local agriculture in partnership with the private sector. Benin has also made early childhood development (ECD) a national priority, focusing on combating malnutrition through multi-sectoral, community-driven approaches and strong government commitment. Addressing these challenges requires strengthening governance, ensuring predictable and sufficient resource allocation, strategic partnerships and empowering vulnerable groups, especially women, to improve food and nutrition security in Benin. Proposed Program Scope and Boundaries:On July 26, 2023, the Government established a National Agency for Food and Nutrition (Agence Nationale de l’Alimentation et la Nutrition, ANAN) under the Presidency to ensure the implementation of policies, strategies, standards and regulations in all areas of food and nutrition, in accordance with the national policy on food and nutrition. Almost a year later, on July 24, 2024, the Government adopted its new National Policy on Food and Nutrition for 2024-2033, laying out the need for better cross-sectoral approaches and integrated interventions to combat every form of malnutrition and improve food security. The PforR will support a subset of the government’s national nutrition program, focusing on regions with the highest burden of malnutrition based on the National Strategy on Food and Nutrition for 2026-2030. The program boundaries are defined by a set of results areas that align with the government’s strategy and the World Bank’s Country Partnership Framework (CPF) in preparation. The operation will finance a results-based portion of the government’s expenditure program, with Disbursement-Linked Indicators (DLIs) that reflect key milestones in service delivery, coverage, and outcomes.PrDO proposed: To reduce stunting among children under five years of age.PDO of ALAFIA I proposed: To improve utilization of quality integrated nutrition, health, and child development services in targeted areas. Key Results Areas being proposed: • RA1: Increase utilization of quality integrated nutrition, health, and child development services• RA2: Enhance community resilience and access to quality nutritious food supply through local engagement and private sector partnershipsAn IPF Component is also being proposed to improve multisectoral coordination, governance, and evidence-based nutrition program design.