Haiti Soyfoods Alliance Developing Soymilk Micro-Enterprise Program With Donated Soybeans, Equipment
March 31, 2010 -- Thanks in part to a donation of a 20 foot container of soybeans from the Northern Food Grade Soybean Assoc. a program is being developed which will include a soy dairy training center and three affiliated micro-enterprises to produce soymilk and derivative soyfoods.
The partnership behind this initiative includes: National Soybean Research Lab (NSRL), World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH), World Soy Foundation (WSF) and Malnutrition Matters.
The first objective, once sufficient funds have been raised, is to establish a soy dairy training center in Haiti with a SoyCow and a non-electric VitaGoat as the main production and demonstration technologies. This will serve as a pilot and model for soymilk production to attract, train and motivate potential entrepreneurs to establish their own commercial-scale soymilk operations.
The second objective is to develop three soy dairy micro-enterprises. Depending on electrical and fuel capacity, these will each use either a SoyCow or a VitaGoat to provide local production, employment and nutrition.
Seminars will be held to provide business and nutrition training and participants will be able to submit applications for funding for the three SoyCows or VitaGoats. This funding is currently being raised by World Soy Foundation, who will review and decide on the grant applications. Training and related services will be provided by a team from WISHH, NSRL and Malnutrition Matters.
While this program addresses longer-term development needs of Haiti, immediate need for donated soyfoods continues. Other soy donations are now being distributed and the channels for transport and distribution are slowly improving to allow for more.
Alliance partners, Malnutrition Matters in North America and Bridge2Food in Europe, have been working to solicit and expedite soyfoods donations. The US-based World Soy Foundation is accepting financial donations and can issue statements that can support a US tax deduction.
Contact:
Malnutrition Matters
www.malnutrition.org/haiti
matters@malnutrition.org
World Soy Foundation
www.worldsoyfoundation.org
nruby@soy.org
Bridge2Food
www.bridge2food.com
gkleinessink@bridge2food.com
