Lesotho Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) Data Landscape
As the Quality Assurance Manager of Lesotho Flour Mills Mr Dingaan Mann formed part of the Lesotho delegation team that attended the Large-Scale Food Fortification (LSFF) data convening titled, “Africa Regional Dialogue on Data for Action in Food Fortification” held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on the 28th to 30th October 2025. Representing Lesotho amongst other 100 or so representatives from East, South, West African countries, regional blocs like SADC, and ECOWAS, and numerous international organizations and UN Agencies was an honour of note.
Participants included representatives from governments, regulatory authorities, public health research institutes, the private sector like Lesotho Flour Mills, regional organizations, donors, and development partners. The three-day meeting provided a platform for countries to share experiences, identify joint solutions to overcome shared challenges, and define priority actions to strengthen national and regional fortification data leadership and governance.
“There is a lot which we learned from the conference regarding areas which we as a country can improve upon. What is of paramount importance is for us to redo a thorough stakeholder mapping exercise to ensure elaborate multisectoral engagement i.e. Government of Lesotho (GOL), FNCO, Bureau of Statistics, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Health (MoH), Revenue Service Lesotho (RSL), the Private Sector i.e. millers and other food manufacturers, NGO’s, Developmental Partners etc.” said Mr. Mann.
“Thereafter, revive the Food Fortification Technical Working Committee (FFTWC). Schedule at least four annual meetings per quarter. This will ensure a functional FFTWC which will in turn establish a Food Fortification Data System. With policies that address the fortification challenges, the fostering of a legal and regulatory framework then every other aspect will fall in place as we go on. Monitoring and evaluation will ensure we continuously improve as such opportunities arise from time to time.” Mr Mann laid it out.
Conclusively he said, “Apart from the immense valuable lessons which could be applied on a national, regional, continental and global level there are also key takeaways which as the Quality Assurance Manager together with the rest of LFM family we will contribute meaningfully to Lesotho’s nutrition and food fortification agenda.”