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Guja H, Belgiu M, Embibel L, Baye K, Stein A. Examining energy and nutrient production across the different agroecological zones in rural Ethiopia using statistical methods. Food Sci Nutr 2023; 11:7565-7580. [PMID: 38107096 PMCID: PMC10724589 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.3676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Poor-quality diets are of huge concern in areas where consumption is dominated by locally sourced foods that provide inadequate nutrients. In agroecologically diverse countries like Ethiopia, food production is also likely to vary spatially. Yet, little is known about how nutrient production varies by agroecology. Our study looked at the adequacy of essential nutrients from local production in the midland, highland, and upper highland agroecological zones (AEZs). Data were collected at the village level from the kebele agriculture office and at the farm and household levels through surveys in rural districts of the South Wollo zone, Ethiopia. Household data were acquired from 478 households, and crop samples were collected from 120 plots during the 2020 production year. Annual crop and livestock production across the three AEZs was converted into energy and nutrient supply using locally developed crops' energy and nutrient composition data. The total produced energy (kcal) met significant proportions of per capita energy demand in the highland and upper highland, while the supply had a 50% energy deficit in the midland. Shortfalls in per capita vitamin A supply decreased across the agroecological gradient from midland (46%) to upper highland (31%). The estimated shortfall in folate supply was significantly higher in the upper highlands (63%) and negligible in the highlands (2%). The risk of deficient iron and zinc supply was relatively low across all AEZs (<10%), but the deficiency risk of calcium was unacceptably high. Agroecology determines the choice of crop produced and, in this way, affects the available supply of energy and nutrients. Therefore, agroecological variations should be a key consideration when designing food system interventions dedicated to improving diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Habtamu Guja
- Faculty of Geo‐information Science and Earth Observation (ITC)University of TwenteEnschedeThe Netherlands
- Center for Food Science and Nutrition, College of Natural and Computational SciencesAddis Ababa UniversityAddis AbabaEthiopia
| | - Mariana Belgiu
- Faculty of Geo‐information Science and Earth Observation (ITC)University of TwenteEnschedeThe Netherlands
| | - Lidya Embibel
- Center for Food Science and Nutrition, College of Natural and Computational SciencesAddis Ababa UniversityAddis AbabaEthiopia
| | - Kaleab Baye
- Center for Food Science and Nutrition, College of Natural and Computational SciencesAddis Ababa UniversityAddis AbabaEthiopia
| | - Alfred Stein
- Faculty of Geo‐information Science and Earth Observation (ITC)University of TwenteEnschedeThe Netherlands
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3
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Mutonhodza B, Joy EJM, Bailey EH, Lark MR, Kangara MGM, Broadley MR, Matsungo TM, Chopera P. Linkages between soil, crop, livestock, and human selenium status in Sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review. Int J Food Sci Technol 2022; 57:6336-6349. [PMID: 36605250 PMCID: PMC9804181 DOI: 10.1111/ijfs.15979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Selenium (Se) is essential for human health, however, data on population Se status and agriculture-nutrition-health linkages are limited in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The scoping review aims to identify linkages between Se in soils/crops, dietary Se intakes, and livestock and human Se status in SSA. Online databases, organisational websites and grey literature were used to identify articles. Articles were screened at title, abstract and full text levels using eligibility criteria. The search yielded 166 articles from which 112 were excluded during abstract screening and 54 full text articles were assessed for eligibility. The scoping review included 34 primary studies published between 1984 and 2021. The studies covered Se concentrations in soils (n = 7), crops (n = 9), animal tissues (n = 2), livestock (n = 3), and human Se status (n = 15). The evidence showed that soil/crop Se concentrations affected Se concentration in dietary sources, dietary Se intake and biomarkers of Se status. Soil types are a primary driver of human Se status and crop Se concentration correlates positively with biomarkers of Se dietary status. Although data sets of Se concentrations exist across the food system in SSA, there is limited evidence on linkages across the agriculture-nutrition nexus. Extensive research on Se linkages across the food chain is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beaula Mutonhodza
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food SciencesUniversity of ZimbabweP.O. Box MP167, Mt PleasantHarareZimbabwe
| | - Edward J. M. Joy
- London School for Hygiene and Tropical MedicineKeppel StreetLondonWC1E 7HTUK,Rothamsted ResearchWest CommonHarpendenAL5 2JQUK
| | - Elizabeth H. Bailey
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of NottinghamSutton Bonington CampusLoughboroughLeicestershireLE12 5RDUK
| | - Murray R. Lark
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of NottinghamSutton Bonington CampusLoughboroughLeicestershireLE12 5RDUK
| | | | - Martin R. Broadley
- Rothamsted ResearchWest CommonHarpendenAL5 2JQUK,School of BiosciencesUniversity of NottinghamSutton Bonington CampusLoughboroughLeicestershireLE12 5RDUK
| | - Tonderayi M. Matsungo
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food SciencesUniversity of ZimbabweP.O. Box MP167, Mt PleasantHarareZimbabwe
| | - Prosper Chopera
- Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food SciencesUniversity of ZimbabweP.O. Box MP167, Mt PleasantHarareZimbabwe
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4
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Botoman L, Chagumaira C, Mossa AW, Amede T, Ander EL, Bailey EH, Chimungu JG, Gameda S, Gashu D, Haefele SM, Joy EJM, Kumssa DB, Ligowe IS, McGrath SP, Milne AE, Munthali M, Towett E, Walsh MG, Wilson L, Young SD, Broadley MR, Lark RM, Nalivata PC. Soil and landscape factors influence geospatial variation in maize grain zinc concentration in Malawi. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7986. [PMID: 35568698 PMCID: PMC9107474 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12014-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary zinc (Zn) deficiency is widespread globally, and in particular among people in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). In Malawi, dietary sources of Zn are dominated by maize and spatially dependent variation in grain Zn concentration, which will affect dietary Zn intake, has been reported at distances of up to ~ 100 km. The aim of this study was to identify potential soil properties and environmental covariates which might explain this longer-range spatial variation in maize grain Zn concentration. Data for maize grain Zn concentrations, soil properties, and environmental covariates were obtained from a spatially representative survey in Malawi (n = 1600 locations). Labile and non-labile soil Zn forms were determined using isotopic dilution methods, alongside conventional agronomic soil analyses. Soil properties and environmental covariates as potential predictors of the concentration of Zn in maize grain were tested using a priori expert rankings and false discovery rate (FDR) controls within the linear mixed model (LMM) framework that informed the original survey design. Mean and median grain Zn concentrations were 21.8 and 21.5 mg kg−1, respectively (standard deviation 4.5; range 10.0–48.1). A LMM for grain Zn concentration was constructed for which the independent variables: soil pH(water), isotopically exchangeable Zn (ZnE), and diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) extractable Zn (ZnDTPA) had predictive value (p < 0.01 in all cases, with FDR controlled at < 0.05). Downscaled mean annual temperature also explained a proportion of the spatial variation in grain Zn concentration. Evidence for spatially dependent variation in maize grain Zn concentrations in Malawi is robust within the LMM framework used in this study, at distances of up to ~ 100 km. Spatial predictions from this LMM provide a basis for further investigation of variations in the contribution of staple foods to Zn nutrition, and where interventions to increase dietary Zn intake (e.g. biofortification) might be most effective. Other soil and landscape factors influencing spatially dependent variation in maize grain Zn concentration, along with factors operating over shorter distances such as choice of crop variety and agronomic practices, require further exploration beyond the scope of the design of this survey.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Botoman
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College Campus, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi.,The Department of Agricultural Research Services, P.O. Box 30779, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
| | - C Chagumaira
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College Campus, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi.,School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK.,Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK.,Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - A W Mossa
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - T Amede
- Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), o/C, ILRI, Guidoshola, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - E L Ander
- Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, NG12 5GG, UK
| | - E H Bailey
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - J G Chimungu
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College Campus, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - S Gameda
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), ILRI Sholla Campus, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - D Gashu
- Centre for Food Science and Nutrition, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - S M Haefele
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - E J M Joy
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - D B Kumssa
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - I S Ligowe
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College Campus, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi.,The Department of Agricultural Research Services, P.O. Box 30779, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
| | - S P McGrath
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - A E Milne
- Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - M Munthali
- The Department of Agricultural Research Services, P.O. Box 30779, Lilongwe 3, Malawi
| | - E Towett
- World Agroforestry (ICRAF), United Nations Avenue, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - M G Walsh
- Africa Soil Information Service, Selian Agricultural Research Institute, P.O. Box 2704, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - L Wilson
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - S D Young
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - M R Broadley
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK.,Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - R M Lark
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK.,Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Nottinghamshire, LE12 5RD, UK
| | - P C Nalivata
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Bunda College Campus, P.O. Box 219, Lilongwe, Malawi.
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5
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Knez M, Stangoulis JCR. Calcium Biofortification of Crops-Challenges and Projected Benefits. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:669053. [PMID: 34335646 PMCID: PMC8323714 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.669053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Despite Calcium (Ca) being an essential nutrient for humans, deficiency of Ca is becoming an ensuing public health problem worldwide. Breeding staple crops with higher Ca concentrations is a sustainable long-term strategy for alleviating Ca deficiency, and particular criteria for a successful breeding initiative need to be in place. This paper discusses current challenges and projected benefits of Ca-biofortified crops. The most important features of Ca nutrition in plants are presented along with explicit recommendations for additional exploration of this important issue. In order for Ca-biofortified crops to be successfully developed, tested, and effectively implemented in most vulnerable populations, further research is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Knez
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Centre of Research Excellence in Nutrition and Metabolism, National Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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Gashu D, Nalivata PC, Amede T, Ander EL, Bailey EH, Botoman L, Chagumaira C, Gameda S, Haefele SM, Hailu K, Joy EJM, Kalimbira AA, Kumssa DB, Lark RM, Ligowe IS, McGrath SP, Milne AE, Mossa AW, Munthali M, Towett EK, Walsh MG, Wilson L, Young SD, Broadley MR. The nutritional quality of cereals varies geospatially in Ethiopia and Malawi. Nature 2021; 594:71-76. [PMID: 34012114 PMCID: PMC8172382 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03559-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) remain widespread among people in sub-Saharan Africa1-5, where access to sufficient food from plant and animal sources that is rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) is limited due to socioeconomic and geographical reasons4-6. Here we report the micronutrient composition (calcium, iron, selenium and zinc) of staple cereal grains for most of the cereal production areas in Ethiopia and Malawi. We show that there is geospatial variation in the composition of micronutrients that is nutritionally important at subnational scales. Soil and environmental covariates of grain micronutrient concentrations included soil pH, soil organic matter, temperature, rainfall and topography, which were specific to micronutrient and crop type. For rural households consuming locally sourced food-including many smallholder farming communities-the location of residence can be the largest influencing factor in determining the dietary intake of micronutrients from cereals. Positive relationships between the concentration of selenium in grain and biomarkers of selenium dietary status occur in both countries. Surveillance of MNDs on the basis of biomarkers of status and dietary intakes from national- and regional-scale food-composition data1-7 could be improved using subnational data on the composition of grain micronutrients. Beyond dietary diversification, interventions to alleviate MNDs, such as food fortification8,9 and biofortification to increase the micronutrient concentrations in crops10,11, should account for geographical effects that can be larger in magnitude than intervention outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Gashu
- Centre for Food Science and Nutrition, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - P C Nalivata
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - T Amede
- International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - E L Ander
- Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, UK
| | - E H Bailey
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - L Botoman
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi
- The Department of Agricultural Research Services, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - C Chagumaira
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
- Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
| | - S Gameda
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - S M Haefele
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
| | - K Hailu
- Centre for Food Science and Nutrition, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Department of Food Science and Applied Nutrition, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - E J M Joy
- Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - A A Kalimbira
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - D B Kumssa
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - R M Lark
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
- Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - I S Ligowe
- Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi
- The Department of Agricultural Research Services, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - S P McGrath
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
| | - A E Milne
- Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK
| | - A W Mossa
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - M Munthali
- The Department of Agricultural Research Services, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - E K Towett
- World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - M G Walsh
- Africa Soil Information Service, Selian Agricultural Research Institute, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - L Wilson
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - S D Young
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - M R Broadley
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK.
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