By Stephanie Mukandairo
A draft United Nations declaration aimed at eliminating trans-fatty acids to combat non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, could deny millions across Africa and Southeast Asia access to essential milk and meat. The policy threatens to exacerbate malnutrition in countries like Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Senegal, and Uganda.
This is according to 115 agricultural experts, government advisors, and business leaders, who caution that the blanket approach fails to distinguish between harmful industrial trans-fats and naturally occurring ones found in animal products, which may protect health.
The coalition, coordinated by Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and endorsed by the African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), includes representatives from the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition(GAIN) and experts from Kenya, Tanzania, and Nigeria. Their urgent appeal comes as UN Member States review the resolution before its September presentation to the General Assembly.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for developing nations where food insecurity already devastates communities. In 2023 alone, one in five Africans faced hunger while a third of children under five suffered from stunting. For these populations, animal-source foods often represent the only reliable source of essential nutrients.
“The risk of a blanket commitment to eliminate all trans-fatty acids is that it unnecessarily discourages the consumption of highly nutritious dairy, meat and other animal-source foods,” the 115 signatories wrote in their open letter. “Once again, the burden will fall heaviest on low- and middle-income countries, where nutrient-rich meat, milk, and dairy are already under-consumed.”
The nutritional science supports their concern. Animal products deliver high-quality proteins and crucial micronutrients, including Vitamins A and B12, calcium, zinc, and iodine that are difficult to obtain elsewhere.
Research demonstrates that children who drink milk daily can grow up to three percent more each month than those who don’t, yet some developing countries record average annual milk consumption as low as just one kilogram per person.
“A single glass of milk is among the most affordable, nutrient-rich foods available,” said Namukolo Covic, ILRI’s Director General’s Representative to Ethiopia. “Milk has been shown to reduce stunting in children and lessen the burden of hunger.”
Professor Ruth Oniang’o, Editor-in-Chief of the African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, emphasized the scientific distinction: “The contribution of animal-source foods to trans-fatty acids are very low compared to industrially derived trans-fats and should be weighed against their nutritional benefits.”
As countries gather in New York for the UN’s High-Level Political Forum through July 23, negotiators face a critical choice: craft a nuanced policy that targets harmful industrial trans-fats while protecting vulnerable populations’ access to life-sustaining nutrition, or risk imposing a cure that proves worse than the disease for those who can least afford it.
