Understanding food fortification: What we learned from India, Nigeria, Ethiopia & DRC

Understanding food fortification: What we learned from India, Nigeria, Ethiopia & DRC
How UX research across four countries helped Futurice build a culturally grounded Food Fortification solution
When the Gates Foundation, in collaboration with Futurice, approached us to support their mission to improve access to information about fortified foods, we saw an opportunity to do what we do best: bring cultural insight into product innovation in some of the world's most complex and diverse markets.
This multi-phase study, which included India, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), sought to understand how professionals in the public and private sectors interact with food fortification systems as well as to determine whether proposed digital solutions would actually meet their needs. Over several months, we progressed from foundational research to concept testing, combining global strategy with local nuances to create a comprehensive approach.
Phase 1: Establishing our context
Before we could test any concepts, we had to conduct some foundational research.
Desk Research
We began by conducting desk research to map the current state of food fortification awareness in each country. We investigated regulatory frameworks, user behaviours, existing digital solutions, and structural gaps.
In-depth Interviews
This was followed by in-depth interviews (IDIs). We conducted interviews with 14 participants per country, including stakeholders from all stages of the food value chain, as well as government officials, NGO workers, private sector manufacturers, and advocacy partners. These discussions were rich, sometimes surprising, and always informative.
Key Insights
While India demonstrated a greater digital maturity and structured policy pathways. 
Nigerian private sector actors expressed a stronger sense of improvisation and self-directed learning. 
Trust and accessibility were key themes in Ethiopia.
Democratic Republic of the Congo had a limited digital infrastructure influencing how (and whether) people interacted with LSFF information.
Phase 2: Testing the concept and validating the direction
Using Phase 1 insights, Futurice created early prototypes to test key functionalities and features of their proposed food fortification digital solution.
This phase focused on India and Ethiopia, where we conducted concept testing with 8 participants per country. Participants looked at visual mockups of the tool, interacted with sample flows, and shared their preferences, confusions, and reactions.
Their feedback was clear:
Clarity is currency
Participants valued clean, simple navigation and a visual hierarchy that let them find the right information quickly.
Source trustworthiness matters
Across both countries, users emphasised the importance of having data backed by known institutions or government sources.
Localisation is non-negotiable
The same feature could succeed in India but fail in Ethiopia if the visual language or content structure didn't align with cultural expectations.
What we discovered: From fragmented knowledge to design clarity.
This wasn't just a research study. It was a lesson in how contextual UX research can translate global concepts into locally relevant solutions.
Across both phases, we assisted Futurice with:
Identifying behavioural and infrastructural barriers to food fortification engagement.
Understanding the role of policy, trust, and informal networks in information uptake.
Validating and refining design directions that prioritise user needs over assumptions.
One of my key takeaways as a researcher? Solutions built for global impact start with listening at a local level. That means more than just translation; it means cultural fluency, user empathy, and the ability to ask the right questions in the right ways.
What's next
The insights gathered in this study are already feeding into the Gates Foundation's next iteration of their Food fortification platform. With country-specific nuances in hand, they're better positioned to build a tool that's not only functional but truly usable across markets.
At Mantaray Africa, we're proud to have played a role in this work and even prouder to continue shaping inclusive digital experiences in the spaces where culture and technology meet. Are you working on a similar project? We'd love to partner with you. Let's connect.