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Peanuts for the People

How a peanut paste saved the lives of millions of children.

In the 30 years since its invention the ready to use therapeutic food plumpy'nut has saved the lives of millions of children and protected countless others from the effects of malnutrition.

But the story of how it transformed treating the world's starving children is one of both persistence and inspiration. The brainchild of two Frenchmen; Doctor Andre Briend and Michel Lescanne, a food processing engineer, they set out to put the power to feed children back into the hands of parents. With the help of organisations like UNICEF they created a system of manufacture and distribution that would not only feed the hungry but benefit the economies of the countries where plumpy'nut was needed.

Presenter: Myra Anubi
Reporter: Jewel Kirungi
Producer: Peter McManus
Editor: Steven Hobson

Release date:

23 minutes

On radio

Tue 25 Aug 2026 07:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Tue 25 Aug 2026 07:06GMT
  • Tue 25 Aug 2026 14:06GMT
  • Tue 25 Aug 2026 17:06GMT
  • Tue 25 Aug 2026 21:06GMT
  • Sat 29 Aug 2026 21:06GMT
  • Sun 30 Aug 2026 09:06GMT
  • Sun 30 Aug 2026 17:06GMT
  • Mon 31 Aug 2026 02:06GMT

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