Food Startup JUST Tackles Hunger Relief in Africa

Food technology company JUST (formerly Hampton Creek) announced last week the Liberian debut of its newest product Just Power Gari. The nutritionally rich product—which is sold at an affordable price to schools and open-air market vendors—is similar to oatmeal and is made with crops harvested in Liberia, creating jobs for small farmers, partner companies, and female entrepreneurs. JUST met with a local pediatrician in March 2016 who explained that while rice and potato chips were available in the area, many children did not have access to nutritionally dense foods, leading to a type of starvation that affects 2.1 billion people worldwide. “The resulting effects on mental and physical development are the difference between realizing one’s potential in life—or not,” JUST Director of Emerging Markets Taylor Quinn said. “Between becoming football stars, doctors, lawyers, and teachers—or not.” The launch of Just Power Gari is part of JUST’s mission to repair the world’s broken food system by replacing unsustainable foods (such as animal products) with plant-based alternatives. The company is currently engaged in a pilot program in Liberia—where 650 children already consume Just Power Gari—and plans to expand the product’s availability to meet the daily nutritional needs of millions of children in 2018.