Carol J. Henry, PhD October 9, 2013 Sixth McGill Conference on Global Food Security
Food Security Situation in Ethiopia Agriculture is the principal source of revenue more than 80 % of population rely on agriculture for life To address food security- increase in household income is the key indicator, has not been shown soly to reduce malnutrition Poor dietary practices leads to various nutrition related diseases and malnutrition Relationship between mom s nutrition and child intake critical if we want to achieve MDG goals Government initiatives & others aiming to achieve MDG
Nutrition Situation in Ethiopia Micronutrient deficiency, also known as hidden hunger, is a major public health problem in most developing countries Iron deficiency 50.1% of reproductive age group women (Haider, 2010) Zinc deficiency Pocket studies 53% of pregnant women (Gebremedihin et al., 2011) 72% of pregnant women in third trimester (Abebe et al., 2008) National level stunting (<-2 HAZ) - 44% children under five years (CSA, 2011)
Access to Plant based diets/staples Inadequate dietary intake Insufficient access to food Child malnutrition, death and disability Bioavailable Proportion of nutrient in a food that is absorbed and utilized by the nutrient body (Hurrel, 2002). Anti-nutrient Inadequate maternal & childcare practices Disease Poor wat/san & inadequate health services Immediate causes Underlying Causes Environmental conditions Eg. Soil Quantity & quality of actual resources - human, economic, organizational - and the way they are controlled Basic causes Potential resources: environment, technology, people Modified Causes of Malnutrition (UNICEF, 1990)
Legumes Leguminous crops play an important role in the diet of low income people Majority of population is engaged in agriculture Food and nutrition security Cheap source of nutrient Soil health Crop rotation Mature in short period Main food in short growing seasons and poor annual harvest area Intercropping Nitrogen fixation Moderate drought resistant
Legumes cont contribution * Consumption** Faba bean 36% 64 Haricot bean 17% 72% Chickpea 16% 75% * http://www.eap.gov.et/?q=node/770 ** CSA, 2008 Poor man s meat Protein source Good source of mineral However, they also contain anti-nutrients Map source: Alemu et al., 2009
Targets 5-sites Southern Ethiopia (Damot Gale, Halaba, Meskan, Sodo, Ziway) Target beneficiaries moms, farmers, children under 5
P r o j e c t D e s I g n Environment Agro-Systems approach: From Field to Fork Soil quality and management Reducing the burden of fertilizer & chemicals Environmental quality; soil quality, biological nitrogen fixation, reduced land degradation Stakeholders Bureau of Agriculture, Bureau of health, NGO s, Crop diversification Genetic diversity Bio availability Linking soil & Plant nutrition Human health & Nutrition Gender stratification Socio-economics Food Processing Bioavailability Household food & Nutrition security [Increased production of the new pulse crops, consumption improved intake of macro 7 micro nutrients] System wide analytical tools -Value-chain analysis -Gender analysis -Monitoring & evaluation
Project objectives Improve nutrition, health of rural Ethiopians, esp. children & females, Using a whole food strategy - combined approach of breeding staple pulses crops rich in micronutrients - biofortification Biotifortification strategy- bring full potential of agricultural (soil, plant science, food processing, value chain) to address malnutrition Address four pillars of FS - Availability soil health, plant breeding> activities that lead to better production Access: purchasing, value chain, market Utilization: consumption, diet diversity, household food processing, nutrition education & care Governance: policies, legal framework
Nutrition Interventions Undertake activities to promote the adoption and dissemination of the varieties of chickpeas, haricot and other beans grown during the trial period Nutrition education & training Product development; recipe development (complimentary food) Measure the nutritional and other impacts of these nutritionally improved varieties in communities and households Caloric intake of children (under 3), reproductive age women relative to recommended allowance Dietary diversity scores for these same groups Weight-for-age or height-for-age for young children (WHO standards) Micronutrient intake vitamin A, zinc, iron
Nutrition Pathway Increased household income through sales of pulses as cash crops Gender sensitive agriculture interventions (market & consumer studies, value chain) Participation in agricultural - nutrition intervention Agricultural practice (plant breeding, bio - fortification improved seed & soil fertility) Increased production of pulse, incl., nutrient rich pulse crops More pulse, improved diet quality & diversity of households, especially women &children Improvement nutri tio nal sta t us and health of communities, especially of reproductive age women and young children Nutrition education Improved food processing technologies & preparation, consumption Enterpri s e processing * Broken pulse arrows food e. g. complementary foods Behaviour change outcome
Key Approaches Student-faculty- led research & extension in study sites Several piloted studies on production, processing, nutrition Carried out jointly by HwU & UofS- faculty, staff, graduate students Joint PhD in Agriculture-initially UofS-PhD nutrition; Applied MSc-HwU Participatory -Community engagement approach (e.g. farmers training/field days) Collaboration with research & development partners [public-private partnership) Fostering local - to be able to see what works Increasing links to agriculture-nutrition-health
Examples of Projects Agr- Response of haricot bean varieties in application of different levels of Zn & Fe in selected areas of Ethiopia Performance of chickpea varieties after maize and haricot bean at Halaba district, SNNPRS Production efficiency of staggered sowing of three common bean cultivars intercropped at different populations with maize at Taba & Halaba
Examples contd. Pulse value chain analysis in selected Woredas of Southern Ethiopia: Potential and constraints for livelihood improvement and export development [fac/res) Food processing methodologies, implication for improved micronutrient intake; sensory analysis & consumer acceptability studies Effect of post harvest practices Nutrition intervention, farmers training; intervention effect (KAB)- improvement of diet (product development)
Nutrition education tool Conversation Map
Gender Analysis Framework
What have we learned? We have learned a lot from our baseline & other studies Practicing double cropping and crop rotation for increased production and higher nutrition Integrating nutrition education & training, along side production of pulses to improve dietary diversity, nutrition security Market can be used as a driver for nutrition security (through its income, crop choice and diet diversity effect)
Next Steps Evaluate outcomes of current nutrition interventions and scale up positive outcomes Select household-based food processing method yielding better bioavailable nutrients Improve the positive effect of market on nutrition while mitigating its effect on nutrient depletion Engage farmers in discussions about cooperatives for improve bargaining power to get high share in price for their commodities
Thank You: CIFSRF TEAM (agriculture, nutrition, food science, gender, marketing/value chain, sociology) University of Saskatchewan & Hawassa University Regional Agriculture and Health Bureaus NGOs Graduate students Farmers & farming households Funders IDRC/CIDA (Foreign Affairs)