Minimising micronutrient losses in the supply chain. A graphic representation of FoodPLUS.

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2 FoodPLUS Traceability of nutrients from soil to the end users FoodPLUS examines the potential role of underutilised crop products to diversify the food basket beyond major species and improve community nutrition through enhancement to production, agroprocessing and marketing. It also traces the loss of micronutrients through the food supply chain from production through to consumption of plant products. Minimising micronutrient losses in the supply chain A graphic representation of FoodPLUS. Beneficiaries The key beneficiaries of FoodPLUS include consumers, especially the rural poor; farmers, small-scale producers in developing countries; multinational and small- and medium-sized food manufacturing and processing companies; wholesalers and retail enterprises. The programme will complement work conducted by researchers, agricultural cooperatives, donor organisations and NGOs.

3 Outline and Context Hunger and all forms of malnutrition continue to inflict widespread suffering throughout the world. Micronutrient deficiencies or 'hidden hunger affect approximately two billion people worldwide or almost one third of the world s population. Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin A, iron, iodine, and zinc, limit physical growth and development, inhibit mental capacities, reduce productivity and impair the immune system. The deficiencies may also cause blindness and death. Many of the consequences of the deficiencies are preventable. Improving community nutrition through the R&D of novel, underutilised crop-based bioproducts that increase micronutrient availability and uptake underpins FoodPLUS. This, coupled with the strengthening of supply chains from farmer to consumer, represent the principal orientation of FoodPLUS. Focussing on the distinctive relationship between production, agroprocessing and marketing, FoodPLUS is working actively to protect, promote and improve the food chain by providing options to diversify diets and ensure that food and nutrition security can complement dietary diversification. Programme Design To structure its research programmes, CFFRC uses an analytical and project design process called the Logical Framework Approach (LFA). The LFA provides a means to identify where a researchable development gap exists and thereby devise a Problem Statement that encapsulates the challenge to be addressed. The Problem Statement is converted to an Objective. This represents the future solution on which the research programme is focussed and the basis to identify research and other programme deliverables, together with the requisite inputs, that are necessary to attain the research programme s Outcome. Problem Statement The overdependence on a few major crop species as sources of food, lack of post-harvest agroprocessing technologies, production of calorie-rich products and limitations on the bioavailability of desired nutrients are inhibiting factors leading to poor community nutrition.

4 Outcome The intended outcome of the FoodPLUS Research Programme is to contribute to the improvement of community nutrition through the diversification of diets that include identifying the availability of micronutrients obtainable from underutilised crops. Research Clusters To achieve its objectives, FoodPLUS is divided into an interlocking set of four clusters; namely, production and breeding, post-harvest handling and supply chain, food processing and nutrition and bioavailability. The projects contained within these clusters will lead to the identification of dietary needs, the increased use of a diverse array of crops for the benefit of consumer health, more efficient land use and the delivery of nutritionally superior products through sustainable and economically efficient supply chains. The clusters and projects are described in the following table.

5 Research Clusters and Projects Research clusters and cluster specific projects within the FoodPLUS programme Production and Breeding Postharvest Handling and Supply Chain Food Processing Nutrition and Bioavailability Cluster focus: Develop production and breeding techniques to improve underutilised crops which can retain maximum desired nutrients. Cluster focus: Develop proper postharvest handling techniques to minimise nutrient losses along the chain. Cluster focus: Develop novel products to overcome the issues of obesity, diabetes type 2 and cardiovascular diseases. Cluster focus: Develop better understanding about the bioavailability of desired nutrients in the body to overcome the issue of hidden hunger. Soil nutrients status Relationship between crop growth conditions and their micronutrient content Developing new improved varieties which can retain desired nutrients Biofortification techniques Breeding techniques or biotechnological tools to develop new varieties with desired traits Benchmarking of existing supply chains Identify quantitative losses in the supply chain Identify nutritional losses in the supply chain Quantify postharvest losses in the supply chain Quantify nutritional losses in the supply chain Identify technologies to repair losses in the supply chain Development of appropriate postharvest treatments to retain maximum availability of nutrients along the supply chain Develop novel food products using underutilised fruits and vegetables Develop novel processing, packaging regimes to deliver the best possible Develop processing techniques to maximise the bioavailability of identified micronutrients Address any issues of food safety or off-odour Understand barriers to consumer s acceptance of novel products Develop educational programmes in schools and local communities to illustrate the preparation of novel products Develop techniques to process the wastage during supply chains into alternative products used for food and nonfood purposes Profiling of nutritional value of selected crops Identification and quantification of key nutrients Analytical studies on anti-nutritional factors Current nutritional status of the community (Literature review) Collect local information on the nutritional value of underutilised crops (indigenous knowledge) Identify socioeconomic drivers of micronutrient deficiency Studies on the bioavailability of micronutrients of choice in the human body Correlation between micronutrient deficiencies and noncommunicable diseases

6 Research Outputs Among the research outputs of the FoodPLUS Research Programme are: A range of plant-based foods, especially from underutilised fruits and vegetables, is available for the community to improve its nutritional status Leakages of desired nutrients along the supply chain have been reduced with measureable impacts on the community s nutritional status Novel techniques have been developed to minimise post-harvest quantitative and qualitative losses of micronutrients New methods have been devised to increase the bioavailability of desired nutrients extracted from underutilised fruits and vegetables. Research Partners FoodPLUS has established research collaboration with a number of national and international partners, including the University of Nottingham (Malaysia and UK campuses), the University of Reading, UK and Southern Cross University, Australia. FoodPLUS is also involved with Farm Radio International and Makerere University, Uganda and has jointly submitted applications for funding to a number of international agencies. FoodPLUS is also working closely with national partners in Malaysia, including Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI), University Putra Malaysia (UPM), International Medical University (IMU) and University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) to deliver some of the programme activities at local and national level.

7 Milestones Past and future milestones in FoodPLUS projects

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