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USAID restores contracts with MANA Nutrition

Fitzgerald-based MANA Nutrition, which on Feb. 26 was notified that its contracts and funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) were canceled by the federal government, had those contracts restored on March 2, according to published reports.

MANA manufactures and distributes ready to use therapeutic food (RUTF) for treatment of malnourished children around the world. The organization estimates that a every 10 seconds from severe malnutrition, and that 45% of deaths in children under the age of 5 are caused by malnutrition.

RUTF is a specialized peanut paste that does not require refrigeration. MANA had halted use of USAID-labeled packaging and had approximately 400,000 boxes, valued at approximately $10 million) of it ready to be shipped.

MANA founder Mark Moore told CNN that the organization resumed using USAID packaging at midnight on March 2.

MANA purchases 2 million pounds of Georgia-grown peanuts per month. Based on Fall 2024 value estimates from the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), that is the equivalent of $5.76 million worth of peanuts annually. MANA converts them to the life-saving paste, then sells them to customers like USAID and the United National International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF). According to the MANA website, the non-profit has provided aid to more than 8 million children in 45 countries.

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