• Benin has approved a national food and nutrition strategy covering 2026–2030.
• The plan aims to turn national nutrition policy into concrete, funded programs.
• High levels of child malnutrition remain a major concern, with stunting affecting 36.5% of children.

Benin’s government has approved a new national strategy aimed at reducing malnutrition over the next five years.

Meeting on March 11, the Council of Ministers adopted the National Food and Nutrition Strategy for 2026–2030. The plan is designed to turn the country’s broader food and nutrition policy into concrete, budgeted actions.

According to the government’s official statement, the strategy is intended to serve as a national reference framework for all stakeholders involved in the fight against malnutrition and food insecurity in Benin. It aims to improve how resources are allocated and used while strengthening accountability in the implementation of national nutrition priorities.

The initiative comes as nutrition indicators in the country remain worrying. UNICEF estimates that 36.5% of children in Benin suffer from stunted growth, while acute malnutrition affects 8.3% of children under five, according to the 2021–2022 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). In addition, about 17% of newborns are born with low birth weight.

More broadly, UNICEF estimates that around 55% of child deaths in the country are linked to malnutrition.

In response to these challenges, Benin has gradually strengthened its institutional framework for nutrition policy. One key step was the creation of the National Agency for Food and Nutrition (ANAN), tasked with promoting healthy diets, improving the population’s nutritional status, and preventing diet-related diseases.

Despite these efforts, funding for nutrition programs remains relatively limited. According to UNICEF, spending on nutrition accounted for an average of about 1.5% of Benin’s national budget between 2017 and 2023—still below the 3% target recommended by the Federation of African Nutrition Societies (FANUS).

However, UNICEF believes the country has enough fiscal space to expand nutrition programs significantly. The organization estimates that Benin could mobilize about CFA376.52 billion (around $684.6 million) over five years, between 2023 and 2027, to achieve universal nutrition coverage for children under five and their mothers.

Charlène N’dimon