Hunger and malnutrition are rampant among refugees, displaced populations, and people living in humanitarian emergencies. Many of them suffer from one or more of the multiple forms of malnutrition. This is often connected to overuse of, damage to, or conflict over, natural resources, and can also force people into unsustainable use of natural resources as they compete for food, nutrition, and cooking fuels.

Malnutrition is also increasingly being affected by the impacts of climate change – changing temperatures, temperature extremes, storms and rainfall patterns and crop pest and disease spread.

RUSF is used for the management of Moderate Acute Malnourished (MAM) children of 6-59 months of age.

Air pollution
Soil pollution
Water pollution
Deforestation

• Provision and use of Ready to Use Supplementary Food, whilst life saving, can harm the environmental or expose affected people to environmental risks, which can ultimately drive further subsequent malnutrition.
• Air, water and soil pollution can be caused by accumulation of waste and spills from piled wasted items. Waste can be caused through 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.
• Provision of RUSF can cause local or displaced unsustainable use of natural resources and unsustainable transport and logistics practices.

• 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.

The following activities can reduce the environmental impact of RUTF support:

• Assess population needs and provide portion sizes and ingredients according to need and preference
• Source all ingredients, fuel, packaging, utensils from sustainable sources
• Source locally with no plastic packaging if quality can be assured

• 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.

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
• Mitigation 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.