Navyn Salem, Edesia

Edesia is a non-profit dedicated to treating and preventing childhood malnutrition in the world’s most vulnerable populations by manufacturing a range of ready-to-use foods (RUFs) to treat and prevent malnutrition. Recently, we were joined by Governor Raimondo, U.S. senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse, congressman David Cicilline, and representatives from USAID and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to celebrate the grand opening of our new facility at the Quonset Business Park. 

Since Edesia’s founding in 2009, we have produced and shipped hundreds of millions of packets of fortified, peanut-based RUFs that have reached more than 4 million malnourished children in 47 countries including Chad, Sierra Leone, Liberia, DR Congo, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan. Millions of our “miracle packets” leave our Rhode Island factory and are delivered into the hands of malnourished children all over the world by humanitarian aid workers working in the hardest-to-reach and most inhospitable places on the planet.

To achieve our goals, we partner with USAID, USDA, UNICEF and the World Food Programme, among other aid organizations, who distribute our food where it is needed most. Our products have been utilized on the ground for Syrian refugees, Haitians displaced by the earthquake, families in need due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and populations affected by the drought and famine in Kenya and Ethiopia.

In 2015, Edesia used about 90,000 pounds of peanuts, 110,000 pounds of sugar, 72,000 pounds of sweet whey powder, 87,000 pounds of milk powder, and 95,000 pounds of vegetable oil each week to make its RUFs. Edesia shipped out nearly 600 containers of RUFs this past year, making it the largest international exporter in Rhode Island.

Thanks to our friends at the Quonset Development Corporation (QDC), Edesia will now have the space to think, collaborate, and challenge ourselves to come up with new ideas that will help us achieve our goal of reaching 10 million malnourished children by 2020. The QDC was instrumental in supporting Edesia’s move within Rhode Island. We are grateful for their pre-permitted, pad-ready sites, rail and port access and business friendly customer service that QDC offered so that we were able to stay in our home state. It’s no wonder why Quonset Business Park is seen as the leading driver of job creation and economic growth in Rhode Island.  Their ability and willingness to collaborate with us is second to none.

We are happy to announce that with our new expanded manufacturing facility at Quonset, Edesia will be able to produce enough RUFs for up to 2 million children each year. This also makes Edesia the largest manufacturer of RUFs in the United States and the second in the world.  It is amazing to think that from the smallest state in the Union we can help save the lives of children across the world.

Our new factory represents Edesia’s determination to help more malnourished children than ever before through improved cost-effectiveness and efficiency. Every minute and every penny count in these life and death situations.  There are crises occurring around the globe to which we are now prepared to respond, whether they are natural disasters, civil unrest, or refugee situations.    

In addition to increasing capacity, a critical component of our expansion is a new Innovation Center, which consists of a test kitchen, a quality testing lab, and a R&D pilot line. The pilot line enables new product trials, testing of new processes and equipment, and the production of small orders. The Innovation Center allows Edesia to develop additional products targeted for prevention and for additional vulnerable populations. Other additions to the new facility are: new automation and robotics in production, capability to use 2,000-pound super sacks for ingredient incorporation, a more robust quality laboratory, and a warehouse with over 2,600 pallet spaces.  We are thrilled to call Rhode Island our home and Quonset Business Park is the perfect place to help us continue our mission to treat and prevent childhood malnutrition in the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Please visit the website to learn more about Edesia and its mission:  www.edesianutrition.org.

Navyn Salem is the founder and CEO of Edesia, Providence, RI.