African Baby Food Market Hits €1B With Local Companies

When Marie-Ange Ehounou's baby boy nearly died from malnutrition despite eating commercial baby food, the Ivorian mother refused to accept that outcome for other families.

She trained as a nutritionist and early childhood educator, then launched Pooyou in 2018. What started as a blog sharing nutrition information quickly grew into a flour production company.

Today, Pooyou employs 10 people and partners with nearly 100 female farmers across Ivory Coast, producing more than 40,000 tonnes of flour annually. These local products offer African families affordable, nutritious alternatives to multinational brands that have faced multiple safety scandals in recent years.

The timing couldn't be more critical. According to Unicef, one in three African children under five suffers from chronic malnutrition, creating urgent demand for better food solutions.

Ehounou's biggest challenge remains funding. "The market is reliable, viable and growing rapidly, but you need money right away to boost the business," she explains. Her company falls into a gap too large for microcredit but too small for traditional bank financing.

That's where Unicef's First Foods Africa initiative steps in. Launched in September in Benin, the program identifies promising local companies and helps them access investment. "We want to engage local companies that are seeking to improve nutrition for young children," says Mauro Brero, a Unicef nutrition specialist.

The initiative also works with African governments to strengthen food safety standards and create policies that support local businesses. It's not always easy, as multinational corporations lobby hard to maintain their dominance, but several countries are already making progress.

The Ripple Effect

The movement extends far beyond one company. Consumer awareness and purchasing power are driving explosive growth across the continent. The African baby food market, valued at €600 million in 2022, is expected to exceed €1 billion this year.

Every local company that succeeds means more jobs for farmers, better nutrition for children, and stronger food security for communities. When mothers like Ehounou build businesses rooted in their own experiences, they create solutions that truly understand local needs.

These entrepreneurs are proving that Africa doesn't need to rely on distant corporations to feed its youngest citizens. With the right support, local innovation can nourish both children and economies, one meal at a time.