RUTF is a packaged ready to use food. It is consumed like a paste directly out of a packet. Different nutritional provisions have different environmental impacts including the production and disposal of packaging, people or product transport fuel use, disease spread from solid waste piling or organic food waste / poor disposal; air pollution from solid waste burning.

RUTF is used to treat Severely Acutely Malnourished (SAM) children of 6-59 months of age.

Air pollution
Soil pollution
Water pollution
Eutrophication
Climate change
Cultural acceptance

• Provision and use of Ready to Use Supplementary Food, whilst life-saving, can harm the environment or expose affected people to environmental risks, which can ultimately drive further subsequent malnutrition.
• Air, water, and soil pollution can be caused by the accumulation of waste and spills from piled wasted items. Waste can be caused by the provision of items that are unfamiliar or unwanted. Accumulation of packaging may result in contamination of waters sources and end up in rivers, lakes, and the ocean. This can lead to disease spread and cause harm to flora, fauna, and ecosystems.

• Distribution of RUSF items, whilst life-saving, can have negative effects on the environment, or expose affected people to environmental risks if activities are not well planned or the needs and behaviour of individuals and communities are not appropriately assessed. This can ultimately drive further subsequent malnutrition. When delivered items do not match with the cultural preferences of affected communities, items may be unused and may be discarded. Also, when items are used but the resulting waste is not properly managed by people accumulation of waste can occur in places that have limited waste management and recycling capabilities and wasted items can be disposed of by open burning, causing air pollution. Improper disposal and management of breastmilk substitutes waste can harbour disease vectors. For example, ready-to-use infant formula in liquid form will have individual packaging, thus, increasing the amount of waste per user.

• Assessing target population nutritional requirements, rather than supplying standard nutrition packs, can significantly reduce waste and environmental impacts.
• Plan for adequate collection, separation, re-use, storage, processing, recycling, composting, and separate treatment of solid waste. This includes Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) packaging waste.
• Environmental benefits that can be generated by the food security and nutrition response

• Source all ingredients, fuel, packaging, utensils from sustainable sources. This should be locally produced if quality can be assured. Locally sourced RUTF can use fresh ingredients and avoid plastic packaging where transport and storage are minimal so quality can be ensured. Store and transport products well so as to minimise the risk of deterioration.
• Remove all excess packaging prior to distribution. Provide facilities for families to return solid waste to you so it is less likely to be burned or discarded in a way that causes pollution.
• Plan efficient delivery/distribution routes, using efficient vehicles, with drivers trained in efficient driving methods.

In South Sudan, Humanitarian agencies provided nutritional supplement feeding and found that over time waste was accumulating on land and in watercourses, causing pollution. Agencies responded by setting up feeding centers and removing packaging prior to distribution where possible; providing safe comfortable feeding areas and encouraging their use, followed by encouragement to return all waste packaging prior to leaving the feeding center.

• #RUSF items sourced sustainably locally
• %of RUSF packaging reduction

Prevention of environmental damage

• Time and budget to procure RUSF sustainably (and locally without plastic packaging if possible).
• Time to plan and implement effective solid waste management and to support families in understanding and reducing environmental impacts.