Presentation delivered at the CIALCA international conference 'Challenges and Opportunities to the agricultural intensification of the humid highland systems of sub-Saharan Africa'. Kigali, Rwanda, October 24-27 2011.

1. ASSESSING AND IMPROVING
NUTRITIONAL DIVERSITY OF
CROPPING SYSTEMS
Roseline Remans, Dan Flynn, Fabrice DeClerck, Willy Diru,
Jessica Fanzo, Kaitlyn Gaynor, Isabel Lambrecht, Joseph
Mudiope, Patrick Mutuo, Phelire Nkhoma, David Siriri, Clare
Sullivan and Cheryl Palm
CIALCA
October 26, 2011

2. Agricultural Monitoring
Crop yields, value-cost ratios, calories per person
HUMAN DIET: 51 ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS
Air, water and Protein Lipids-Fat Macrominerals Trace Vitamins
energy (amino acids) (fatty acids) elements
Oxygen Histidine Linoleic acid Na Fe A
Water Isoleucine Linolenic acid K Zn D
Carbohydrates Leucine Ca Cu E
Lysine Mg Mn K
Methionine S I C (Absorbic acid)
Phenylalanine P Fe B1 (Thiamine)
Threonine Cl Se B2 (Riboflavin)
Tryptophan Si B3 (Niacin)
Valine Mo B5 (Pantothenic acid)
Co (in B12) B6 (Pyroxidine)
B** B7/H (Biotin)
Ni** B9 (Folic acid, folacin)
Maize Beans Cr** B12 (Cobalamin)
Spinach
V**
As**
Li**
Sn**

3. Nutritional functional diversity (FD)
NUTRITIONAL FUNCTIONAL DIVERSITY
= Metric to assess nutritional diversity and potential of locally available genetic
resources for food based nutrition
Database currently contains 1000 food items, including many from Africa
Species composition
Nutritional functional diversity
Nutritional composition

4. MILLENNIUM VILLAGES AND AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES

5. UNDERNUTRITION IN MILLENNIUM VILLAGE SITES
AT BASELINE
EK=Ethiopia, Koraro; GB= Ghana, Bonsaaso; KD=Kenya, Dertu; KS=Kenya, Sauri; MM=Malawi, Mwandama; MT=Malit,
Tiby; RM=Rwanda, Mayange; NI=Nigeria, Ikaram; NP=Nigeria, Pampaida; TM=Tanzania, Mbola; UR=Uganda, Ruhiira

6. BANANA-BASED SYSTEM MAIZED -BASED SYSTEMS
RUHIIRA, UGANDA SAURI, KENYA and MWANDAMA, MALAWI
COMMUNITY AND ON-FARM AGRO-DIVERSITY
Uganda Kenya Malawi
# edible plant species in the community: 55 49 42
Average # edible plant species/ farm: 18 15 11
Average # livestock species/ farm: 2 2 0.5
6

7. % of farms % of farms
50%
75%
25%
50%
75%
25%
0%
0%
100%
100%
Onion Jackfruit
Tangerine Pigeon pea
Pepper (green)
Macadamia
Orange
Pomegranate
Carrots
Black plum Achak
Fig tree Mushroom
Irish potato Green grams/moong beans
Cowpea Watermelon
Coffee
Passionfruit
Moringa
Peas
Cape gooseberries
Orange Onyulo
Finger millet Mulberry (Onunga)
Sugarcane Rosemary
Eggplant (black) Eggplant
Cabbage
Custard apple
Passionfruit
Jackfruit
Lemon
Cabbage Irish potato
Turnip Java plum (mzambarau, jamna)
Apple Soybean
Sorghum Sorghum
Pineapple
Okra (local variaty)
Mitoo
Black jack
Sauri - Kenya
Groundnut (peanut)
Lemon Chili pepper
Mulberry (Onunga) Musabibu
Mwandama - Malawi
Cocoyam Onion
Chili pepper Tomato
Spiderweed
Lablab
Sugarcane
Tomato
Mango
Sweet potatoes Guava
Amaranth Pumpkin
Peach Cocoyam
Avocado Apoth
Cassava
Groundnut (peanut)
Black nightshade
Papaya
Papaya
Guava Sweet potatoes
Pumpkin Cowpea
Bean Avocado
Mango Kale (sukuma wiki)
Bean
Banana
MAIZE-BASED SYSTEMS IN SAURI, KENYA AND MWANDAMA, MALAWI
Amaranth
Pigeon pea
7
Black jack
Cassava Maize
Maize Banana

8. Nutritional Functional Diversity versus Species Diversity
Nutritional Functional Diversity
Mulberry
Groundnut
Pumpkin
IN COMMON
Maize
Banana
Cassava
Papaya
Pigeon Pea
Mango
Sweet potatoes
Irish potatoes
Avocados
Species richness

9. NUTRITIONAL FD versus SPECIES RICHNESS

10. Nutrient Gap Analysis of Supply
% of DRI per person per day locally produced
Mwandama, Malawi

11. ANALYSIS AT VILLAGE and LANDSCAPE
Nutritional FD
11

12. Unhealthy Soils, Unhealthy People
Yields, Soil Health, Human Health, Economic Growth
Loss of nutrients, soil erosion, biodiversity
Agriculture Environmental
without proper management
degradation
Declining Declining
labor productivity crop productivity and diversity
Malnutrition, illness
(state of well-being)
Deckelbaum et al., 2006

13. RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD AND NUTRITION INDICATORS
*
*
* P<0.01

14. How to manage biodiversity for nutrition?
Two main strategies
STRATEGY 1: To restore or maintain high levels of local diversity
Value-
Small-scale Improved Knowledge Extension
adding
Irrigation seed storage sharing and
and
& ISFM facilities platform education
Business
STRATEGY 2: To facilitate the adaptation of new varieties and crops with new
and different characteristics that benefit the population and fit changing
conditions
14

15. Adoption of Agricultural Diversification Activities
% of farmers diversifying
Example Mwandama, Malawi

16. Analysis of Food Frequency Surveys:
Baseline and Following Introduction of Nutritious Crops
Food consumption patterns
Example Mwandama, Malawi

17. GLOBAL HUNGER INDEX, IFPRI 2010
GLOBAL CROP NITROGEN STRESS,
Liu et al, PNAS