ArmInfo.A ceremony was held in Almaty to sign a Letter of Intent between the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), the World Food Program (WFP) and the Yeremyan Project company to implement the Milk to Schools project in Armenia. The document was signed on June 27 in Almaty as part of the EDB Annual Meeting and Business Forum.
After the signing ceremony, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the EDB Denis Ilyin noted that the document signed today by the three parties confirms the joint intentions to implement the Milk to Schools project in Armenia.
"The project aims to overcome food security challenges for school-age children in the regions of Armenia. Our partners in this project are the UN World Food Programme, which saves lives in emergencies and uses food aid to build a path to peace, stability and prosperity for people and the Group "Eremyan Projects" company is a client of the Bank, which is the largest enterprise in Armenia with a vertically integrated cycle of meat and milk production using the "from field to table" principle. The creation of the production complex of the Eremyan group of companies was financed by the Eurasian Development Bank," Ilyin recalled.
In this vein, he drew attention to the fact that the Eremyan Farm company is already implementing a pilot program in Armenia to deliver milk to schools, and by signing this Letter of Intent, all parties express their desire to realize the possibility of a wider expansion of the project in Armenia.
"This will allow us to reach more schools and children in need of quality nutrition. I congratulate all of us on signing this Letter of Intent and wish us further fruitful cooperation and successful implementation of the project," he concluded.
Back in February, representatives of the UN World Food Program (WFP) and Yeremyan Projects held a meeting to evaluate the results of their joint initiative - the Milk to Schools project. The event took place at the unique livestock complex "Yeremyan Projects" in the Tashir community of Lori province.
The Milk to Schools project started in December 2022 with the signing of a cooperation agreement between Nana Skau, representative and director of WFP in Armenia, and Davit Yeremyan, founder and CEO of Yeremyan Projects. The project aims to encourage milk consumption as part of a healthy breakfast for children and adults in Armenia, reduce the consumption of unhealthy snacks such as sweet and salty foods, and create sustainable demand for milk as a healthy lifestyle choice.
Since 2019, "Yeremyan Projects" has been leading agricultural projects based on the concept "From grain to table." In partnership with WFP, the "Milk to Schools" project was tested from January to December 2023 in the Vayots Dzor region. The pilot project involved schools No. 1 in Jermuk and No. 1 in Yeghegnadzor, reaching approximately 411 students in grades 5-9 who received a glass of milk daily, which contributed to a healthier start to their day.
