The Egyptian Food Bank Organizes a Seminar to Disseminate the Impact Assessment Results of the General Feeding Program

- The General Feeding Program is the first and foremost program of the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB) aimed at protecting the most vulnerable families from hunger.

- Mohsen Sarhan: The impact assessment of the General Feeding Program covered 250 villages and around 4،000 families.

 In collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD)، the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB) organized a special seminar to disseminate the results of the impact assessment of the General Feeding Program (GFP). The seminar aimed to discuss the findings with leading economists and nutrition experts and the wider spectrum of the general public to exchange views on the main challenges and recommendations arising from the program's impact assessment.

The seminar featured an opening speech by Mohsen Sarhan، CEO of the Egyptian Food Bank; Dr. Sikandra Kurdi، Country Program Leader International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)، and Mays Abou Hegab، Deputy Executive Director of Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD). This was followed by a panel discussion titled "The Motivation Behind the Study،" moderated by Hanan El Khayal، Principal Social Empowerment Officer at SFSD. Panelists included Dr. Mohamed ElKaramany، Director of Learning and Strategies at SFSD and Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the American University in Cairo; Mohsen Sarhan، CEO of the Egyptian Food Bank; Dr. Sahar Zaghloul، Emeritus Professor at the National Nutrition Institute (NNI) and Member of the National Committee for Nutrition Sciences; and Dr. Ahmed Elsayed، Executive Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab in the Middle East and North Africa (J-PAL MENA).

Using scientific evidence

The General Feeding Program (GFP) program، which is the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB)'s premier initiative، specifically targets protecting the most vulnerable families. Funded by the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD)، the impact evaluation was conducted in collaboration with IFPRI، reflecting the commitment of all three entities to use scientific evidence and applied research to design social protection and poverty alleviation programs for more impactful outcomes.

This study aligns with the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB)'s focus on providing the necessary and diverse nutritional elements preferred by beneficiaries. Families receiving support from the General Feeding Program (GFP) get a monthly food box containing widely preferred and non-perishable food items.، The research study contrasted two types of food boxes with different contents: the “Staple Heavy Food Box” which had been used traditionally by the Egyptian Food Box and an alternative referred to as the “Nutrition-Sensitive Food Box.”

"The Egyptian Food Bank (EFB) aims to protect the most deserving groups in the Egyptian society and empower them to overcome hunger and food insecurity through evidence-based program design. To update the food box we provide، the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB) has piloted a new food box tailored to cater to the essential nutritional needs of beneficiaries، including carbohydrates، fats، proteins، vitamins، and minerals. Compared to the traditional Staple-Heavy Food Box، the new “Nutrition-Sensitive Food Box” aims to double the monthly intake of micronutrients، including proteins and iron" remarked، Mohsen Sarhan، CEO of the Egyptian Food Bank.

Moreover، he added that scientific research plays a critical role in guiding decisions and programs to achieve tangible improvements in the lives of individuals and communities. Through the program، the research team designed a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) at the village level to measure the absolute and relative impacts of the newly designed Nutrition-Sensitive Food Box. The team selected 250 villages and randomly distributed beneficiaries into five groups، drawing from a list of all villages in Egypt’s governorates، and randomly selected 16 families from each village among those for whom baseline data was collected، forming a research sample of around 4،000 families.

The consumption of iron

The selection of food items in the new Nutrition-Sensitive Food Box is based on scientific principles and the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of the nutritional intake for beneficiaries. For example، the new food items included in the new food box are designed to increase the consumption of iron with a target to meet 16.5% of the daily needs، compared to the old box which meets 5% only of the monthly iron needs. The new components were chosen based on various logistical and operational criteria، including their ability to withstand different climatic conditions during transportation to remote areas.

For her part، Mays Abou Hegab، Deputy Executive Director of the Sawiris Foundation for Social Development (SFSD)، expressed her satisfaction with the study's outcomes، highlighting it as one of the largest impact assessment studies in the Egyptian development community. She emphasized the foundation’s strong interest in building partnerships based on the use and generation of scientific evidence that benefits various stakeholders involved in development programs targeting the most vulnerable families. She also expressed pride in the foundation’s partnership with the Egyptian Food Bank (EFB) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)، both leading institutions in supporting food security for the most in-need families.

Additionally، Dr. Sikandra Kurdi، Egypt Country Program Leader at the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)، commented that this study represents the type of work that is central to IFPRI's mission of providing policy-oriented research to reduce hunger and malnutrition: “Using a Randomized Control Trial (RCT)، we found significant impacts of the Nutrition-Sensitive Food Box both compared to both control and to the Staple-Heavy Food Box on dietary diversity، reported food insecurity experience (at midline only)، and women's nutrient intake. These results allow us to understand the exact tradeoff between the higher cost of the Nutrition-Sensitive Food Box and improved dietary quality. We also find modest، but significant، impacts of a low-cost complementary messaging intervention on nutritional practices. We look forward to continuing data analysis and future collaboration with the Egyptian Food Bank and the Sawiris Foundation in studying the drivers of nutritional quality for beneficiaries، a crucial topic not only for the food bank but for food policies in Egypt more broadly.”

This partnership falls under the Elevation pillar، one of the strategic pillars of the Egyptian Food Bank. Through this pillar، the EFB establishes partnerships with research institutions، and international experts to evaluate the on-ground impact of its programs. Additionally، the bank publishes experimental research to share learned lessons with other stakeholders in the field. The participating entities aim to increase knowledge about the optimal interventions to combat malnutrition and hunger in Egypt.