Fundación Favorita and Corporación Favorita, through their brands Supermaxi and Megamaxi, have joined the World Food Programme’s (WFP) school meals project in Ecuador. The collaboration is part of the “Juntos por la Nutrición Infantil” campaign, which was conducted during March 2023. A portion of sales from selected Supermaxi products is being used to fund school meals provided by WFP in the provinces of Santa Elena and Carchi.
This initiative will initially benefit 1,900 children attending rural schools by providing them with healthier food options. It will also support 105 local producers who supply products to these schools. The program aims to help national priorities focused on developing human capital in Ecuador’s most vulnerable communities.
According to data from the 2018 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT), 35.4% of children aged 5 to 11 in Ecuador face overweight and obesity issues, which can negatively affect their learning, productivity, and health. Additionally, 23% of children under five years old suffer from chronic malnutrition, with higher rates among indigenous and rural populations.
The joint effort between WFP, Fundación Favorita, Corporación Favorita, Supermaxi, and Megamaxi seeks to improve educational outcomes for rural students while addressing hunger. The project also aims to stimulate the local economy by providing a steady market for small-scale producers in these regions.
“A través de platos variados y nutritivos que incluyen productos como arroz, quinua, papa, lentejas, zanahoria, tomate y espinaca estamos rescatando los saberes culinarios ancestrales y tradicionales, al mismo tiempo que aseguramos que los niños reciban los nutrientes necesarios para crecer sanos y desarrollar su máximo potencial para construir el Ecuador del futuro,” said Matteo Perrone, WFP Representative in Ecuador. He emphasized that this project addresses current food security challenges in a country where about 2.4 million people experience food insecurity.
The WFP’s work in Ecuador involves coordinating efforts with local governments and has the endorsement of the Ministry of Education. Support from private companies helps reach the goal of improving nutrition for thousands of children at rural schools.
“Trabajar de manera articulada para mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas e impactar en áreas fundamentales para el desarrollo del país, como la nutrición y la educación, es el objetivo de nuestra empresa y nuestra fundación. Sabemos que los programas de alimentación escolar aumentan, en promedio, un 9% la asistencia presencial de niños y niñas a las escuelas, por lo que una alianza con el Programa Mundial de Alimentos contribuye al cumplimiento de nuestro propósito de lograr un Ecuador sostenible,” said Martín Vásconez, Deputy Corporate Manager at Corporación Favorita.
The school meal program has been operating since 2019 and has improved nutrition for more than 27,000 children across over 300 schools in Ecuador. There are plans to expand it nationwide into provinces with higher poverty levels and chronic child malnutrition rates as additional support from private sector partners is secured.
