Global Food Aid: Asia

Many Asia countries have high infant, child, and maternal mortality and malnutrition rates. Alaska canned salmon was the product of choice for take home and in school rations in the USDA McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program (MGD) in Cambodia and Laos. These programs help keep children in school and away from child labor by providing meals. The nutrients in salmon are not available in other food aid sources. For most children salmon is the only animal protein they consume.

Cambodia

In Cambodia, a number of NGO’s were interested in improving the nutritional content of school meals which are most often a child’s only daily meal. Salesian Missions was the first to recognize the value of canned salmon as a source of concentrated protein. Through their local partners, the Don Bosco Foundation and Cambodia Hope, the program extended beyond the school to nourish child laborers, women workers and individuals with HIV/AIDS. The nutritional properties of salmon render it therapeutic for the undernourished, the chronically ill and those with compromised immune systems, similar to our pilot project in Liberia. The successful approach and the popularity of Alaska canned salmon led the International Relief and Development (IRD) and Safe Educational Opportunities Project to add canned salmon to the school meals in Khammouane Province, so as to improve learning and nutrition among primary school students.

Laos

In Laos, canned salmon was an integral part of the successful Landmine Removal and Food for Education Programs of the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI) and International Relief Fund (IRD). The World Food Program (WFP) included canned salmon in their Food for Education Program to improve the diets of children through monthly take-home rations for children who attended 80% of school days, incentivized by the provision of 3.45 million mid-morning snacks yearly. These efforts helped increase school enrollment and retention in primary schools.

The Philippines

The Philippines suffered a tragic natural disaster with the direct hit of Typhoon Yolanda. Alaska responded with a donation to those in the most remote areas providing victims with over a million servings of canned salmon.