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Nutrition and Health: Harnessing pulse for linking agriculture and nutrition and ensuring food security
1. C. Henry, S. Beyene, A.
Nayyar, G. Brehanu, H.
Haileslassie, E. Kinfe , T.
Fikre, R.T. Tyler,
Food Security Dialogue,
University of Alberta
Harnessing Pulses for linking Agriculture and
Nutrition and Ensuring Food Security
2. Challenges to Linking Agriculture and
Nutrition: Ensuring Food Security
Persistent hunger: ~ 870 million people chronically
undernourished (FAO 2012)
Growing, urbanizing population
Changes in food consumption patterns
Food price volatility
Climate change – increased occurrence of shocks
Focus on Feeding 9 Billion People (yields,
productivity)
Need to focus also on access to high quality diets
4. Nutrition Situation in Ethiopia
Micronutrient
deficiency, also
known as “hidden
hunger,” is a major
public health
problem in most
developing countries
and Ethiopia is no
exception
5. Availability
Access
Utilization
- 50% of reproductive age
group women deficient in
iron
- 72% of pregnant women in
Southern part deficient in
zinc
- 44% under five years
children stunted
6. • Population health-
gender, value chain
• Micronutrients
processing
• Household & post
harvest
• Soil quality
• Genetic varieties
• Nutrition
interventions
5 innovations
Gender
8. Soils were characterized for Fe and Zn deficiency
Application of Zn along with N and P increased
haricot bean productivity as compared to Zn alone
in 2 out of 6 locations.
Both foliar and soil application of Zn on maize at
Butajira increased grain and biomass yield by 22%
and 15% respectively as compared to control
(application method).
Zn (soil and folair) application increased grain and
biomass yield by 42.5% and 44% in Zeway
Studies on productivity:
Soil/plant
9. Hawassa Dume and Ayenew produced higher grain
yield as compared to Melkie and Red Wolaita
varieties of Haricot beans (varieties)
Grain yield and biomass yield was higher at Halaba
location as compared to Taba and Meskan districts
(varieties).
Thousand seed weight and mean seed per spike were
significantly affected by bean residue (Crop residue).
Studies on productivity:
Soil/plant
10. Population health
Several studies examined the
relationship of socioeconomics,
gender, & nutrition & health
status
Focused primarily on women &
young children
Findings: female’s role was less
valued in pulses production,
local cultural practices on
decision-making limits women’s
ability to benefit economically
from the sale of pulses
Mothers need for nutrition
education
11. Studies: Pulses Value Chain Analysis
Study: Potential and constraints for livelihood improvement and
export development in selected Woredas of Southern Ethiopia
(Tewodros (2013)
Method: Survey interview questionnaire
Key Findings:
Males dominate sale of chickpea in three of the study sites.
Differences in intra household food distribution, meaning, some
household members, get better access to a specific food items than
others.
One women said “ haricot bean sale is a cause of fight and
disagreement among many households because men do not tell us
for how much they sell the produce and we have no say on how the
money should be spent”
Jaffe & Kaler – Social dimensions
13. Gender-Nutrition Sensitization
Workshop
Held in Hawassa, December 4-6,2013
Goal: forum for experience sharing, feedback
gathering; issues and opportunities for implementing
a gender sensitive agenda across project sites.
Participants: 128 stakeholders (farmers, plus)
AM- Focus groups- male, female, decision makers
Afternoon- experience sharing-best practices
Several presentations- gender study, value chain
14. Gender Sensitization Workshop
Outcome of the workshop:
Farmers expressed that knowledge was increased about
importance of pulse production and consumption for
improved productivity and diet quality.
Best practice shared on pulse production, processing,
preparation and consumption.
Guidance to researchers on areas where project could be
strengthened
Training on the nutritional importance of pulses and preparation
methods for diet enrichment
Nutrition research such as recipe development and testing
17. Micronutrient levels of
commonly consumed dishes
Household food processing for improved
micronutrient intake; sensory analysis & consumer
acceptability studies
Effect of post harvest practices
Nutrient and anti nutrient content analysis of
chickpea varieties (local desi, improved desi:
Mestewal and improved kabuli: Habru )
Analysis of functional, physicochemical and
cooking characteristics of three chickpea varieties
18. Studies: Biobioavailability and mineral
content of chickpea and bean based
dishes
Methods: Application of household food processing
treatments (soaking at 12, 24 and 48 hours and
germination at 24, 48 and 72hours)
Results: Mineral content (zinc, iron, calcium ) of chickpea
and bean based dishes were well retained in most of the
commonly consumed dishes with various treatments
Germination no longer a common practice
Implications: greater nutritional value; this may lead to
improved micronutrient status especially among women
and children
19. Studies contd.
Method: application of
germination in
complementary food
preparation (maize and bean)
Result: processed products
showed significant reduction
of phytate (p= 0.001)
No significant difference in
sensory attributes of porridge
samples (36 mother- child
pairs)
20. Studies contd.
Acceptability studies
(Chickpea)
Method: application of
roasting and boiling
Result: There was no
significance difference in
appearance, taste, texture ,
and the overall
acceptability of dishes
prepared from improved
chickpea varieties
compared to local varieties
21. Studies: Advocating More Pulses
in the Diet
Nutrition intervention:
Farmers training;
intervention effect (KAB)-
improvement of diet
(product development)
Involvement of
Male farmers
23. Capacity Building
• Student-Faculty led research & extension in study sites
• Several piloted studies on production, processing, nutrition
• Carried out jointly by HU & UofS
• Joint PhD in Agriculture (initially)
• UofS - PhD Nutrition
• HU - Applied MSc
• Participatory community engagement approach
• e.g. farmers training/field days
• Collaboration with research & development partners
• public-private partnership)
• Fostering local initiatives
• Increasing links to agriculture-nutrition-health
• e.g. University, Health Care
24.
25. What Have We Learned?
• We have learned a lot from our baseline & other studies
– Practice of double cropping and crop rotation for increased
production and higher nutrition quality
– Pulses a population tool for micronutrient deficiency
reduction and non-communicable diseases
– Integrating nutrition education & training, with pulses
production improve dietary diversity & health benefits
– Market can be used as a driver for food & nutrition security
– income, crop choice and diet diversity effect
– Need for policy strategies that leads to advocacy -stress
pulses production & consumption
26. 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
27. 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/DFATD
Editor's Notes
Ethiopia is no exception. hidden hunger,’ because its symptoms have few visible warning signs, micronutrient malnutrition results from consistently consuming foods severely lacking in vitamins and minerals (particularly vitamin A, iron, iodine and zinc), which are essential for proper physical and mental development
Stunting >20% in under five children …problem
In Ethiopia, increasing the productivity of pulses presents an opportunity in reversing poverty and food insecurity. In part, because pulses have the capacity to fix atmospheric nitrogen in soils and thus improve soil fertility and save fertilizer costs in subsequent crops (Serraj 2004). The rotation of cereal crops with legumes is essential, if soil health and the sustainability of production systems are to be maintained. In this case, pulses production is integral part of smallholder farming systems where farmers commonly practice crop rotation of cereals with legumes. Growing pulse crops also enables more intensive and productive use of land, particularly in areas where land is scarce and the crop can be grown as a second crop using residual moisture. Increased use of pulses reduces malnutrition and improves human health, especially for the poor who cannot afford livestock products. Pulses are an excellent source of protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Finally, with growing demand in both the domestic and export markets pulse crops provides a source of cash for smallholder producers.
Soils were characterised for Fe and Zn deficiencies. Most of the soils in selected locations in Ethiopia were low in Fe and Zn.
A study was conducted in different locations to see the effect of N, P and Zn applications in haricot bean yield. Application of Zn along with N and P increased haricot bean productivity as compared to Zn alone in 2 out of 6 locations.
Another study was undertaken to identify the Zn application method for increased productivity. Both foliar and soil application of Zn on maize at Butajira increased grain and biomass yield by 22% and 15% respectively as compared to control when grown as sole crop vs intercropped with haricot beans.
In a similar experiment at Zeway, soil and foliar application increased the grain and biomass yield of sole haricot bean vs intercropped with maize.
Effect of N,P,Zn and Fe fertilization was studied on different varieties of haricot beans and at different locations.
In order to see the effect of bean residue on following wheat crop, an experiment was conducted where wheat was grown on soils with or without incorporated bean residue. Initial results indicated that thousand seed weight and mean seed per spike were significantly affected by bean residue. Further analysis are still being in progress.
Produce at least 70% of the food
Own only 1% of the land
Receive 7% of the extension services and 10% of the credit that is available to small-scale farmers