Salt is one of the key exports of Indonesia, after coal and palm oil. Local farmers spend up to 10 hours a day in salt season, harvesting the precious crystals to sell all over the world and within Indonesia. The main roads heading to Makassar – the capital of South Sulawesi province – lead through many salt farms in Jeneponto district and are populated with street sellers on the road-sides selling salt to local passers-by.

The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), in co-operation with Indonesia’s Government has worked together with the Provincial Association of Iodized Salt Producer (APROGAKOBS), to stop street sellers on the road-sides from selling non-iodized salt. Iodine is a mineral essential for human development and growth.

GAIN wants to educate and empower consumers to choose nutritious foods to feed their family, and has worked in marketplaces around the world to give them this choice. The Association organised a meeting to empower the street salt vendors to iodize their salt, and GAIN presented the need to iodize salt and outlined the dangers of iodine deficiency. The meeting also held training on how to iodize salt on-site with demonstrations. The Deputy Bupati (local Mayor) gave his full support to the program, and took part in the training for the street vendors.