“Little Seed. Big Hope.” Nutrition & Education International (NEI) is an international nonprofit organization working to eradicate malnutrition in Afghanistan through the development of a self-sustainable soybean industry. Mission: Reduce and prevent malnutrition and related illnesses in Afghanistan by establishing a self-sustainable soybean industry including soybean production, processing, and soy food culture development. Overview: NEI was founded in 2003 as a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)3 organization based in Pasadena, CA. NEI exists to eradicate malnutrition among Afghan women and children through the provision of sustainable, soy-based nutritional solutions. It's a multi-sector approach that includes nutrition intervention, economic capacity building of the local population, promotion of gender equality, and support for education. NEI has worked with over 30,000 farmers to harvest soybeans in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan. Partners also include other humanitarian organizations such as the World Food Program as well as government agencies of Afghanistan, United States, Korea, Japan, and Canada. In 2012, NEI worked with over 7,000 farmers and harvested approximately 1,600 metric tons of soybeans. The harvest will be consumed directly by farmers’ families, stored for the upcoming planting season, or processed and distributed through our Supplementary Soy Feeding Program during the winter months when people are the most vulnerable to malnutrition-based illnesses.