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Ahmed A, Coleman F, Ghostlaw J, Hoddinott J, Menon P, Parvin A, Pereira A, Quisumbing A, Roy S, Younus M. Increasing Production Diversity and Diet Quality: Evidence from Bangladesh. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 2024; 106:1089-1110. [PMID: 38863502 PMCID: PMC11164552 DOI: 10.1111/ajae.12427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
In the context of rural Bangladesh, we assess whether agriculture training alone, nutrition Behavior Communication Change (BCC) alone, combined agriculture training and nutrition BCC, or agriculture training and nutrition BCC combined with gender sensitization improve: (a) production diversity, either on household fields or through crop, livestock or aquaculture activities carried out near the family homestead and (b) diet diversity and the quality of household diets. All treatment arms were implemented by government employees. Implementation quality was high. No treatment increased production diversification of crops grown on fields. Treatment arms with agricultural training did increase the number of different crops grown in homestead gardens and the likelihood of any egg, dairy, or fish production but the magnitudes of these effect sizes were small. All agricultural treatment arms had, in percentage terms, large effects on measures of levels of homestead production. However, because baseline levels of production were low, the magnitude of these changes in absolute terms was modest. Nearly all treatment arms improved measures of food consumption and diet with the largest effects found when nutrition and agriculture training were combined. Relative to treatments combining agriculture and nutrition training, we find no significant impact of adding the gender sensitization on our measures of production diversity or diet quality. Interventions that combine agricultural training and nutrition BCC can improve both production diversity and diet quality, but they are not a panacea. They can, however, contribute towards better diets of rural households.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akhter Ahmed
- International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)- Dhaka
| | - Fiona Coleman
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University
| | | | - John Hoddinott
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Department of Global Development, Cornell University and IFPRI -Washington DC
| | | | | | - Audrey Pereira
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina
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Iannotti L, Kleban E, Fracassi P, Oenema S, Lutter C. Evidence for Policies and Practices to Address Global Food Insecurity. Annu Rev Public Health 2024; 45:375-400. [PMID: 38166503 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-060922-041451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
Food insecurity affects an estimated 691-783 million people globally and is disproportionately high in Africa and Asia. It arises from poverty, armed conflict, and climate change, among other demographic and globalization forces. This review summarizes evidence for policies and practices across five elements of the agrifood system framework and identifies gaps that inform an agenda for future research. Under availability, imbalanced agriculture policies protect primarily staple food producers, and there is limited evidence on food security impacts for smallholder and women food producers. Evidence supports the use of cash transfers and food aid for affordability and school feeding for multiple benefits. Food-based dietary guidelines can improve the nutritional quality of dietary patterns, yet they may not reflect the latest evidence or food supplies. Evidence from the newer food environment elements, promotion and sustainability, while relatively minimal, provides insight into achieving long-term impacts. To eliminate hunger, our global community should embrace integrated approaches and bring evidence-based policies and practices to scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lora Iannotti
- E3 Nutrition Lab, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA;
| | - Eliza Kleban
- E3 Nutrition Lab, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri, USA;
| | - Patrizia Fracassi
- Food and Nutrition Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
| | - Stineke Oenema
- UN-Nutrition Secretariat, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy
| | - Chessa Lutter
- Division of Food Security and Agriculture, RTI International, Washington, DC, USA
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Gartaula HN, Atreya K, Kattel K, Rahut DB. Factors influencing household and women's dietary diversity in migrant households in central Nepal. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298022. [PMID: 38578760 PMCID: PMC10997064 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Food security and dietary diversity, defined as providing either physical (availability) or economic (accessibility) access to food, are linked with access to and control over productive resources and is a highly-gendered phenomenon. In Nepal, labor out-migration has increased household income and may have increased people's ability to access diverse food either by increasing investment in agriculture or purchasing various food items from the market. However, the relationship between household dietary improvement and labor out-migration is complex. Drawing on a survey of 1,053 migrant households in three agroecological regions of Nepal, this paper disentangles this complex phenomenon by showing how household dietary diversity and women's dietary diversity are influenced by biophysical, social, economic, and cultural factors. The influence of the amount of remittances, land abandonment, and women confined to the house by household chores are some factors that policy makers should consider seriously in designing gender-sensitive nutrition policies. The expansion of women's agency contributes to enhancing dietary diversity and specifically women's dietary diversity at the household level; however, how these factors determine an individual's dietary diversity depends on intrahousehold dynamics and relations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hom Nath Gartaula
- Sustainable Impact Department, International Rice Research Institute, Los Banõs, Philippines
| | - Kishor Atreya
- School of Forestry and Natural Resource Management, Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Department of Watershed Management and Environmental Science, Institute of Forestry, Tribhuvan University, Pokhara Campus, Nepal
| | - Kanchan Kattel
- Department of Nutrition and Public Health, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway
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Nabuuma D, Ekesa B, Faber M, Mbhenyane X. Designing a Contextualized Food-Based Strategy to Improve the Dietary Diversity of Children in Rural Farming Households in Central Uganda. Food Nutr Bull 2024; 45:24-37. [PMID: 38661354 PMCID: PMC11047017 DOI: 10.1177/03795721241240854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Food-based strategies have a high potential of improving the diet quality and reducing the prevalence of nutrient deficiencies in agriculture-dependent communities. Their design is however complex with trade-offs that are rarely systematically presented to allow replication and efficient contextualization. OBJECTIVE The systematic design of a food-based strategy to improve the dietary diversity of children in rural farming communities in Uganda. METHODS The intervention mapping protocol was used to provide a systematic approach to developing theory-based and evidence-based intervention methods and strategy. RESULTS The priority behavioral and environmental determinants identified were related to food production, consumption, and efficacy while the personal determinants focused on knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, attitude, and outcome expectations. The aim of the resulting strategy was set to improve the availability, accessibility, and consumption of diverse foods, with a particular focus on production diversity, production practices, market access, and market diversity. Behaviour change methods were selected to enhance ability and self-efficacy, strategic goal setting, and provision of feedback. The strategy focused on household groups for learning, demonstration, practice, and social support. The validation showed that the determinants and actors incorporated in the strategy were important and relevant for improving the productivity, food availability, dietary diversity, livelihoods, and health of rural farming households and communities. CONCLUSION Application of the protocol yielded a contextualized food-based strategy that can be adjusted for use in other smallholder contexts in developing countries by piloting implementation plans based on the strategy; reassessing the key determinants and implementing the revised strategy; or replicating the whole design process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah Nabuuma
- Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Penang, Malaysia
| | - Beatrice Ekesa
- Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Mieke Faber
- Non-Communicable Diseases Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
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Gepts P. Biocultural diversity and crop improvement. Emerg Top Life Sci 2023; 7:ETLS20230067. [PMID: 38084755 PMCID: PMC10754339 DOI: 10.1042/etls20230067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Biocultural diversity is the ever-evolving and irreplaceable sum total of all living organisms inhabiting the Earth. It plays a significant role in sustainable productivity and ecosystem services that benefit humanity and is closely allied with human cultural diversity. Despite its essentiality, biodiversity is seriously threatened by the insatiable and inequitable human exploitation of the Earth's resources. One of the benefits of biodiversity is its utilization in crop improvement, including cropping improvement (agronomic cultivation practices) and genetic improvement (plant breeding). Crop improvement has tended to decrease agricultural biodiversity since the origins of agriculture, but awareness of this situation can reverse this negative trend. Cropping improvement can strive to use more diverse cultivars and a broader complement of crops on farms and in landscapes. It can also focus on underutilized crops, including legumes. Genetic improvement can access a broader range of biodiversity sources and, with the assistance of modern breeding tools like genomics, can facilitate the introduction of additional characteristics that improve yield, mitigate environmental stresses, and restore, at least partially, lost crop biodiversity. The current legal framework covering biodiversity includes national intellectual property and international treaty instruments, which have tended to limit access and innovation to biodiversity. A global system of access and benefit sharing, encompassing digital sequence information, would benefit humanity but remains an elusive goal. The Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework sets forth an ambitious set of targets and goals to be accomplished by 2030 and 2050, respectively, to protect and restore biocultural diversity, including agrobiodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Gepts
- Department of Plant Sciences, Section of Crop and Ecosystem Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616-8780, U.S.A
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6
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Connors K, Jaacks LM, Awasthi A, Becker K, Bezner Kerr R, Fivian E, Gelli A, Harris-Fry H, Heckert J, Kadiyala S, Martinez E, Santoso MV, Young SL, Bliznashka L. Women's empowerment, production choices, and crop diversity in Burkina Faso, India, Malawi, and Tanzania: a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data. Lancet Planet Health 2023; 7:e558-e569. [PMID: 37437997 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(23)00125-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bolstering farm-level crop diversity is one strategy to strengthen food system resilience and achieve global food security. Women who live in rural areas play an essential role in food production; therefore, we aimed to assess the associations between women's empowerment and crop diversity. METHODS In this secondary analysis of cross-sectional data, we used data from four cluster-randomised controlled trials done in Burkina Faso, India, Malawi, and Tanzania. We assessed women's empowerment using indicators from the Women's Empowerment in Agriculture Index. Farm-level crop diversity measures were the number of food crops grown, number of food groups grown, and if nutrient-dense crops were grown. We used a two-stage modelling approach. First, we analysed covariate-adjusted country-specific associations between women's empowerment and crop diversity indicators using multivariable generalised linear models. Second, we pooled country-specific associations using random-effects models. FINDINGS The final analytic sample included 1735 women from Burkina Faso, 4450 women from India, 547 women from Malawi, and 574 women from Tanzania. Across all countries, compared with households in which women provided input into fewer productive decisions, households of women with greater input into productive decisions produced more food crops (mean difference 0·36 [95% CI 0·16-0·55]), a higher number of food groups (mean difference 0·16 [0·06-0·25]), and more nutrient-dense crops (percentage point difference 3 [95% CI 3-4]). Across all countries, each additional community group a woman actively participated in was associated with cultivating a higher number of food crops (mean difference 0·20 [0·04-0·35]) and a higher number of food groups (mean difference 0·11 [0·03-0·18]), but not more nutrient-dense crops. In pooled associations from Burkina Faso and India, asset ownership was associated with cultivating a higher number of food crops (mean difference 0·08 [0·04-0·12]) and a higher number of food groups (mean difference 0·05 [0·04-0·07]), but not more nutrient-dense crops. INTERPRETATION Greater women's empowerment was associated with higher farm-level crop diversity among low-income agricultural households, suggesting that it could help enhance efforts to strengthen food system resilience. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaela Connors
- Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | - Lindsay M Jaacks
- Harvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK
| | | | - Karoline Becker
- Department of International Development, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Emily Fivian
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Aulo Gelli
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Helen Harris-Fry
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Jessica Heckert
- International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Suneetha Kadiyala
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Elena Martinez
- Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Sera L Young
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Lilia Bliznashka
- Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems, University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, UK; International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
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Alam MJ, Begum IA, Mastura T, Kishore A, Woodhill J, Chatterjee K, Jackson T. Agricultural diversification and intra-household dietary diversity: Panel data analysis of farm households in Bangladesh. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287321. [PMID: 37352323 PMCID: PMC10289449 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper investigates the associations between agricultural diversification and dietary diversity among men, women and children of farm households in Bangladesh. Using three waves of nationally representative Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS- 2011-12, 2015 and 2018) data and a panel data model, the study found that agricultural production diversification can emphasize the dietary diversification across the life cycle of farm household members. The balanced panel data reveals that agricultural production diversification has a statistically significant and positive impact on dietary diversity of individual members (men, women and children) of farm households. Moreover, other important factors that impact on agricultural diversification and improve dietary diversity like women's education and employment, commercialization of farm households, access to non-farm income sources, and access to information facilities also have a strong association in improving dietary status, food and nutritional security as well. Although there is currently limited diversity in the diets of adult men, women and children of rural farm households, the situation can be improved over time with proper and consistent support. The findings suggest policy interventions should target not only agricultural diversification but also improve women's education and on and off farm employment opportunities and facilitate better access to information for rural households. These recommendations can support improved dietary diversity for all household members under different settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Jahangir Alam
- Department of Agribusiness and Marketing, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
| | - Ismat Ara Begum
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
| | - Tamanna Mastura
- Department of Agribusiness and Marketing, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh
| | - Avinash Kishore
- International Food Policy Research Institute, New Delhi, India
| | - Jim Woodhill
- Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Liu X, Liu C, Chen K. Agricultural production diversity, child dietary diversity and nutritional status in poor, rural Gansu Province of China. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287000. [PMID: 37315059 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Research has shown mixed findings on the link between production diversity and household dietary diversity. The question is whether this link holds for children. In this study we examine the relationship between household's agricultural production diversity and child dietary diversity, and between production diversity and child nutritional status. Smallholder farm households (n = 1067) and children (n = 1067) aged 3-16 years from two then nationally designated poverty counties in Gansu Province of China were interviewed in 2019. Production diversity was assessed with the production richness score and production diversity score. Production diversity was calculated from agricultural production data covering a period of 12 months. Child dietary diversity was assessed with food variety score (FVS) and dietary diversity score (DDS). DDS was calculated based on 9 food groups using a 30-day recall method. Data were analysed using Poisson and Probit regression models. We find that both agricultural production richness score and revenue generated from selling agricultural products are positively associated with food variety score, with the relationship being stronger for the latter. Moreover, production diversity score is positively associated with children's dietary diversity score whereas negatively associated with their probability of being stunted, but not with their probabilities of being wasted or zinc deficient. Household social economics status were also positively associated with child dietary diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinghua Liu
- China Academy for Rural Development, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chengfang Liu
- China Center for Agricultural Policy, School of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Kevin Chen
- China Academy for Rural Development, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- International Food Policy Research Institute, East and Central Asia Office, Beijing, China
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Lam RD, Huynh LTM, Lozano Lazo DP, Gasparatos A. Diet change and sustainability in Indigenous areas: characteristics, drivers, and impacts of diet change in Gunayala, Panama. SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE 2023:1-23. [PMID: 37363303 PMCID: PMC10173224 DOI: 10.1007/s11625-023-01325-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Many Indigenous communities around the world have been experiencing rapid and profound diet changes. This case report uses a Sustainability Science lens to understand the characteristics of diet change in Indigenous Gunas communities of Panama, as well as its drivers and sustainability impacts. We use primary information collected through interviews with 30 experts and 232 household surveys in three Gunas islands characterised by different levels of development, western influence, and cultural erosion. We observe a rapid westernization of diets that has been mainly driven by closer interaction with tourists and the Panamanian society, as well as broader development processes. However, this diet change has a series of intersecting sustainability impacts related to food security, health, and socio-cultural and environmental change. It is necessary to understand the intersection of these phenomena when designing programs and interventions that seek to prevent or mitigate negative diet changes in Gunayala, and other Indigenous contexts more broadly. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-023-01325-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Dam Lam
- Graduate Programme on Sustainability Science-Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI), University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- WorldFish, Bayan Lepas, Penang Malaysia
| | - Lam T. M. Huynh
- Graduate Programme on Sustainability Science-Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI), University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Alexandros Gasparatos
- Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI), University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS), United Nations University, Tokyo, Japan
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10
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Vuong TN, Dang CV, Jagals P, Toze S, Gallegos D, Gatton M. Household Food Insecurity Negatively Impacts Diet Diversity in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta: A Cross-Sectional Study. Asia Pac J Public Health 2023; 35:276-283. [PMID: 37070630 PMCID: PMC10262329 DOI: 10.1177/10105395231166544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Healthy, diverse diets are vital for life. In low/middle-income countries, however, the focus is more on food quantity rather than diet quality. This study assessed household diet diversity (HDD) in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta and its associations with household food insecurity (HFI) and household food availability (HFA) controlling for socioeconomic factors. Primary food-preparers in 552 randomly selected households in two rural provinces were interviewed about socioeconomic factors, HDD, HFI, and HFA. More than 80% of households predominantly consumed energy-dense foods, whereas less than 20% consumed nutrient-dense foods. Lower HDD was associated with HFI, lower HFA, for the Khmer ethnic minority, and low livelihood capitals (landlessness, low expenditure, debt) and low utensil scores. The study highlighted the need to provide improved food and nutrition policies that increase availability and access to diverse and healthy foods as well as reduce poverty and increase incomes for at-risk rural and ethnic minority groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thuy Ngoc Vuong
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
- Institute of Public Health in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Chinh Van Dang
- Institute of Public Health in Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Paul Jagals
- Children’s Health and Environment Program, Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland Centre for Children’s Health Research, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Simon Toze
- Urban Water Futures, The Gap, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Danielle Gallegos
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
- Woolworths Centre for Childhood Nutrition Research, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, South Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Michelle Gatton
- School of Public Health and Social Work, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, QLD, Australia
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Azadi H, Ghazali S, Ghorbani M, Tan R, Witlox F. Contribution of small-scale farmers to global food security: a meta-analysis. JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE 2023; 103:2715-2726. [PMID: 36066551 DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.12207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
In this study, the impacts of small-scale farmers on food security enhancement were estimated in three dimensions of food availability, food access and food utilization. In the current study, a systematic review and meta-analysis have been performed to synthesize results from 75 original articles. It includes the pooling of data that quantitatively investigate whether or not causal links characterized in the original articles remain valid across a broader scope of the literature. The findings show that farmers who are small-scale in natural/physical capital would lead to higher median food production and agricultural productivity, compared with small-scale farmers in financial capital, at about 19% and 15%, respectively. Meta-regression results indicate that small-scale farmers in natural/physical capital have significantly positive effects on the average agricultural productivity, food income and biofortification. By contrast, farmers who are small-scale in financial capital have negative effects on food security. The influential role of these small-scale farmers should also be considered since food insecurity leads to socio-economic implications. Therefore, it is recommended to cultivate higher value crops, to participate in various income-generating activities such as fisheries and forestry, and to pay agricultural credits. The effect of the size of small-scale farmers on global food security is very useful for policymakers to plan for a world without hunger. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Azadi
- Department of Economics and Rural Development, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liege, Gembloux, Belgium
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Environmental Science and Engineering, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Department of Geography, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Mehdi Ghorbani
- Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Rong Tan
- School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Frank Witlox
- Department of Geography, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Geography, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
- College of Civil Aviation, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, China
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12
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Mattas K, Raptou E, Alayidi A, Yener G, Baourakis G. Assessing the interlinkage between biodiversity and diet through the Mediterranean diet case. Adv Nutr 2023; 14:570-582. [PMID: 36997093 DOI: 10.1016/j.advnut.2023.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The adoption of healthy and sustainable diets, and the transition to sustainable food systems is of principal importance in order to counteract the double burden of climate change and non-communicable diseases. The Mediterranean diet (MD) has been widely recognized as a biodiversity and healthy nutrition resource to support sustainable development and food security. This study explored biodiversity in terms of food plants species, subspecies, varieties and races, and also addressed food-plant diversity differences between the MD and western-type consumption patterns. It was funded by the EU BioValue Project, aiming to promote the integration of underutilized crops into the food value chains. Using a two-stage scheme, data were selected from MEDUSA and Euro+Med databases (including 449 species, 2,366 subspecies, varieties, and races). Furthermore, 12 countries from North Africa and Europe were classified in two groups according to their sub-regional attributes and their traditionally most prevalent dietary pattern (MD or western-type diets). Statistical analysis showed that the mean of the majorly cultivated food plants in the MD was significantly higher than its counterpart in the Western-diet. Furthermore, no statistical difference was detected in the averages of native food plants between the MD group and the Western diet group, implying that the higher diversity in food plants observed in the MD seems to be attributed to crop utilization rather than crop availability. Our findings indicated the interlinkage between biodiversity and prevailing dietary patterns, and further underlined that biodiversity could constitute a prerequisite for dietary diversity, and hence nutrition security. In addition, this study demonstrated that diets and nutrition should be approached in a broader way within the context of both agro-food and ecological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstadinos Mattas
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
| | - Elena Raptou
- Department of Agricultural Development, Democritus University of Thrace, Orestiada, Greece
| | - Ahmed Alayidi
- Department of Business Economics and Management, CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Chania, Greece
| | - Gizem Yener
- Department of Business Economics and Management, CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Chania, Greece
| | - George Baourakis
- CIHEAM Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Chania, Greece
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Hlatshwayo SI, Slotow R, Ngidi MSC. The Role of Smallholder Farming on Rural Household Dietary Diversity. AGRICULTURE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 13:595. [PMID: 37693124 PMCID: PMC7615070 DOI: 10.3390/agriculture13030595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The importance of smallholder farming is increasingly recognized in rural areas where increased crop productivity and market participation can effectively improve their dietary diversity and nutrition quality. However, rural households are still faced with severe food insecurity and malnutrition. The study sought to assess the role of smallholder farming in crop productivity and market access on rural household dietary diversity. The secondary data were collected using a quantitative research method, and 1520 participants were selected using a stratified random sampling technique. The descriptive results showed that cereals were the most (98%) consumed food group, while vegetables and fruits were the least consumed food groups, at 37% and 23%, respectively. The results from the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) showed that 57% of smallholder farmers consumed highly diverse diets (more or equal to six food groups), whereas 25% and 18% of smallholder farmers consumed medium dietary diversity (four to five food groups) and low diverse diets (less or equal to three food groups), respectively. The findings from the Conditional Mixed Process (CMP) and Poisson endogenous treatment effect models showed that household size, ownership of livestock, wealth index, and involvement in crop production positively influenced household dietary diversity. On the other hand, output and access to market information showed a negative effect. Social grants had contradicting effects: they had a negative impact on the HDDS received from crop productivity while they had a positive effect on the HDDS from market participation. Providing different ways smallholder farmers can use their funds effectively can help improve household dietary diversity and nutrition quality. The study recommended that more workshops and training be conducted that cover all the sustainable production systems that smallholder farmers can undertake to produce different food groups. These will raise awareness among smallholder farmers about the requirements for balanced diets for food and nutrition security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simphiwe Innocentia Hlatshwayo
- African Centre for Food Security, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa
- Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa
| | - Rob Slotow
- Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Life Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa
| | - Mjabuliseni Simon Cloapas Ngidi
- African Centre for Food Security, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa
- Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa
- Department of Agricultural Extension and Rural Resource Management, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg 3201, South Africa
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Singh S, Venkateshmurthy NS, Brown KA, Maddury AP, Khatkar R, Jarhyan P, Prabhakaran D, Mohan S. Agricultural and Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Farmer Household Dietary Diversity in India: A Comparative Study of Visakhapatnam and Sonipat. SUSTAINABILITY 2023; 15:2873. [PMID: 37323772 PMCID: PMC7614637 DOI: 10.3390/su15042873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Using primary data from 479 farmer households, this study examined the associations between agricultural and socioeconomic factors and farmer household dietary diversity in Visakhapatnam and Sonipat. Cropping intensity was positively associated with farmers' household dietary diversity score (HDDS), suggesting that higher cropping intensity may expand the gross cropped area and improve food security among subsistence farmers. Distance to food markets was also significantly associated with farmer HDDS, which suggests that market integration with rural households can improve farmer HDDS in Visakhapatnam. In Sonipat, wealth index had a positive association with farmer HDDS, targeting the income pathway by improving farmer HDDS in this region. Considering the relative contribution of these factors, distance to food markets, cropping intensity, and crop diversity were the three most important factors affecting farmer HDDS in Visakhapatnam, whereas wealth index, cropping intensity, and distance to food markets emerged as the top three important factors contributing to farmer HDDS in Sonipat. Our study concludes that the associations between agricultural and socioeconomic factors and farmer HDDS are complex but context- and location-specific; therefore, considering the site- and context-specific circumstances, different connections to HDDS in India can be found to better support policy priorities on the ground.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kerry Ann Brown
- College of Life & Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4PY, UK
| | | | - Rajesh Khatkar
- Public Health Foundation of India, Gurgaon 122002, India
| | | | - Dorairaj Prabhakaran
- Centre for Chronic Disease Control, New Delhi 110016, India
- Public Health Foundation of India, Gurgaon 122002, India
| | - Sailesh Mohan
- Centre for Chronic Disease Control, New Delhi 110016, India
- Public Health Foundation of India, Gurgaon 122002, India
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15
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Shahid M, Singh RK, Thushar S. Proximate Composition and Nutritional Values of Selected Wild Plants of the United Arab Emirates. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28031504. [PMID: 36771169 PMCID: PMC9921872 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Wild plants supply food and shelter to several organisms; they also act as important sources of many nutrients and pharmaceutical agents for mankind. These plants are widely used in traditional medicinal systems and folk medicines. The present study analyzed the nutritional and proximate composition of various compounds in selected wild plants available in the UAE, viz., Chenopodium murale L., Dipterygium glaucum Decne., Heliotropium digynum Asch. ex C.Chr., Heliotropium kotschyi Gürke., Salsola imbricata Forssk., Tribulus pentandrus Forssk., Zygophyllum qatarense Hadidi. The predominant amino acids detected in the plants were glycine, threonine, histidine, cysteine, proline, serine, and tyrosine; the highest quantities were observed in H. digynum and T. pentandrus. The major fatty acids present were long-chain saturated fatty acids; however, lauric acid was only present in S. imbricata. The presence of essential fatty acids such as oleic acid, α-Linoleic acid, and linolenic acid was observed in H. digynum, S. imbricata, and H. kotschyi. These plants also exhibited higher content of nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, ash, and fiber. The predominant vitamins in the plants were vitamin B complex and vitamin C. C. murale had higher vitamin A, whereas vitamin B complex was seen in T. pentandrus and D. glaucum. The phosphorus and zinc content were high in T. pentandrus; the nitrogen, calcium, and potassium contents were high in H. digynum, and D. glaucum. Overall, these plants, especially H. digynum and T. pentandrus contain high amounts of nutritionally active compounds and important antioxidants including trace elements and vitamins. The results from the experiment provide an understanding of the nutritional composition of these desert plant species and can be better utilized as important agents for pharmacological drug discovery, food, and sustainable livestock production in the desert ecosystem.
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Sekabira H, Nansubuga Z, Ddungu SP, Nazziwa L. Farm production diversity, household dietary diversity, and nutrition: Evidence from Uganda's national panel survey. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0279358. [PMID: 36525440 PMCID: PMC9757588 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Improved food security and nutrition remain a notable global challenge. Yet, food security and nutrition are areas of strategic importance regarding the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. The increasingly weakening global food production systems pose a threat to sustainable improved food security and nutrition. Consequently, a significant population remains chronically hungry and severely malnourished. As a remedy, farm production diversity (FPD) remains a viable pathway through which household nutrition can be improved. However, evidence is mixed, or unavailable on how FPD is associated with key nutrition indicators like household dietary diversity, energy, iron, zinc, and vitamin A (micronutrients). We use the Uganda National Panel Survey (UNPS) data for rural households to analyze differential associations of sub-components of FPD on dietary diversity, energy, and micronutrient intake. Panel data models reveal that indeed crop species count, and animal species count (sub-components of FPD) are differently associated with household dietary diversity score (HDDS), energy, and vitamin A sourced from markets. Moreover, when volumes of these nutrition outcomes were disaggregated by source (own farm vs. markets), the animal species count was only positively significantly associated with nutrition outcomes sourced from consumption of produce from own farm. Associations were insignificant for nutrition indicators sourced from markets except vitamin A. The crop species count, however, consistently showed a strong positive and significant association with energy, and all studied micronutrients sourced from own farm produce consumption, as well as those sourced from markets except Vitamin A, which was negative but insignificant. Therefore, inclusive, pro-poor, and pro-nutrition rural policy initiatives in the context of rural Uganda and similar ones, could more widely improve household nutrition through prioritizing crop species diversification on own farms because crops fetch wider nutrition gains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haruna Sekabira
- Department of Natural Resources Management, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Kacyiru, Rwanda
- * E-mail:
| | - Zainab Nansubuga
- Department of Agricultural Research, LADS Consult, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Lydia Nazziwa
- Department of Agricultural Research, LADS Consult, Kampala, Uganda
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Blesh J, Isaac ME, Schipanski ME, Vanek SJ. Editorial: Ecological Nutrient Management as a pathway to Zero Hunger. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.1079973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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Owoputi I, Booth N, Luginaah I, Nyantakyi-Frimpong H, Shumba L, Dakishoni L, Lupafya E, Hickey C, Kerr RB. Does Crop Diversity Influence Household Food Security and Women's Individual Dietary Diversity? A Cross-Sectional Study of Malawian Farmers in a Participatory Agroecology and Nutrition Project. Food Nutr Bull 2022; 43:395-411. [PMID: 36169209 DOI: 10.1177/03795721221126787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Agroecological methods have the potential to impact nutrition and food security, however, to date there is limited research evaluating this approach. OBJECTIVE A 5-year participatory research project with farming households in north and central Malawi was designed to train farmers on agroecological practices, alongside raising awareness on nutrition and gender equity. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the relationships between crop diversity, food security at the household level, and individual diversity for women, within the context of an agroecology, nutrition education, and farmer mentoring program. METHODS Participating farmers were trained in and experimented with different farming methods. These farmers subsequently trained other farmers on these short-term agroecological practices and provided mentorship using community-based educational methods designed to address both household food security and nutrition. In year 4 of the intervention, a cross-sectional survey assessed farm practices, food security, and individual dietary diversity of 851 participating households. RESULTS Households with lower crop diversity were significantly less likely to be food secure (odds ratios [OR] = 0.829, P < .001). Women in households with higher crop diversity were more likely to have higher individual dietary diversity (OR = 1.120, P < .01), eat vitamin A rich foods (OR = 1.176, P < .01), and legumes, nuts, and seeds (OR = 1.141, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that within a participatory agroecological training combined with community-based nutrition education with a focus on social equity, crop diversity is associated with less household food insecurity and poorer diet quality for rural farming households. Crop diversity may improve dietary diversity by making nutritious foods more available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ibukun Owoputi
- Cornell University, Division of Nutritional Sciences, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Nola Booth
- Cornell University, Department of Global Development, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Isaac Luginaah
- Department of Geography, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Lizzie Shumba
- Soils, Foods, and Healthy Communities (SFHC), Ekwendeni, Malawi
| | | | - Esther Lupafya
- Soils, Foods, and Healthy Communities (SFHC), Ekwendeni, Malawi
| | - Catherine Hickey
- Department of Geography, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
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van Zutphen KG, van den Berg S, Gavin-Smith B, Imbo E, Kraemer K, Monroy-Gomez J, Pannatier M, Prytherch H, Six J, Thoennissen C, Winter S, Barjolle D. Nutrition as a driver and outcome of agroecology. NATURE FOOD 2022; 3:990-996. [PMID: 37118296 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-022-00631-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
The principles of agroecology do not explicitly state a link with nutrition. Yet, we argue that among them, input reduction, biodiversity, economic diversification, social values and diets, fairness, connectivity and participation are directly linked to nutrition. Nutrition can serve as a critical outcome and driver of agroecological practices and can drive transformative change across the food system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sophie van den Berg
- Group of Sustainable Agroecosystems, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Elizabeth Imbo
- Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Klaus Kraemer
- Sight and Life Foundation, Basel, Switzerland
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Marnie Pannatier
- Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Helen Prytherch
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Johan Six
- Group of Sustainable Agroecosystems, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Simon Winter
- Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dominique Barjolle
- Group of Sustainable Agroecosystems, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Institute of Geography and Sustainability, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Bellon MR, Ntandou-Bouzitou G, Lauderdale JE, Caracciolo F. Combining market and nonmarket food sources provides rural households with more options to achieve better diets in Southern Benin. Food Secur 2022; 15:411-422. [PMID: 37016710 PMCID: PMC10066082 DOI: 10.1007/s12571-022-01320-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThis study examines the relative contributions to dietary diversity of the diversity of plant and domesticated animal species which rural households produce or collect, i.e., nonmarket food sources, versus the diversity of foods purchased in markets. Although opinions differ in the literature as to their relative importance, clarifying how different sources of food contribute to the dietary diversity of rural households in the developing world is important to inform policies and interventions to improve their food security and dietary quality. This case study was carried out among a random sample of 654 rural households in southern Benin during two seasons: when food is plentiful after harvest; and when food is scarcer between harvests. We collected data on crops, wild plants, and domesticated animals utilized by households, the number of markets they visited, and the diet of a mother in the household, with a structured 24-hour food frequency questionnaire. We hypothesize that the number of markets visited is an indicator of the diversity of foods available in the markets they have access to, and thus shows the contribution of markets as food sources. Results support this hypothesis and show that households that produced more plant and domesticated animal species and those that visited more markets had more diversified diets. Obtaining diverse foods from multiple sources provides households with more options to achieve better diets. These results suggest a need for a more holistic approach that recognizes the complementarities between market and nonmarket sources of foods. This approach should build on the diversity of species rural households already utilize, and on the ways they interact with markets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio R. Bellon
- Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, Arizona State University, PO Box 878204, 85287-8204 Tempe, AZ USA
| | | | | | - Francesco Caracciolo
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici (Na), Italy
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21
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Seasonality and nutrition-sensitive farming in rural Northern Ghana. Food Secur 2022; 15:381-394. [PMID: 37016711 PMCID: PMC10066165 DOI: 10.1007/s12571-022-01325-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In rural sub-Saharan Africa, where malnutrition in all its forms is rife, the greatest gap between the availability of foods and the foods needed for a nutritious diet are faced during the ‘hunger season’. We investigated what rural households in Northern Ghana would need to grow to ensure year-round availability of a nutrient adequate diet or the income required to fulfil their dietary needs. We applied linear programming to model different scenarios and interventions. Our results provide three major insights. First, considering seasonality is crucial in nutrition-sensitive farming. Ensuring a nutritious diet year-round requires enhanced availability of vegetables and fruits throughout the year. Second, although staple crops do not provide the full range of essential nutrients, increasing their yields allows for a reduction of field size, freeing up space for the production of other foods belonging to a nutritious diet, such as vegetables. Third, small farms are unable to produce sufficient food to cover their needs. They depend on income both from agriculture and other sources, and the availability of types of foods on markets to meet their dietary needs. Our study shows the value of modelling the range of dietary effects from agricultural interventions in a specific context, using a local feasible nutritious diet as a starting point and taking seasonality into account.
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Ahmed Z, Ambinakudige S. Does land use change, waterlogging, and salinity impact on sustainability of agriculture and food security? Evidence from southwestern coastal region of Bangladesh. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 195:74. [PMID: 36334161 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10673-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The United Nation's sustainable development goal is to achieve zero hunger by 2030 and achieve food security throughout the world. In this context, we analyze the anthropogenic factors such as land use and land cover change, waterlogging, and soil salinity which combinedly affecting the agricultural sustainability and threatening the food security in the southwestern region of Bangladesh. Landsat satellite images from 1991 to 2021 were used to detect the changes and identify how anthropogenic activities have altered the land cover and land use and impede the sustainability of agriculture. Terra MODIS vegetation indices from 2000 to 2020 were used to detect waterlogging. Soil salinity was measured from the soil samples and vegetation soil salinity index (VSSI) from Landsat images. Findings of the study revealed that agricultural lands have decreased because of an increase in shrimp farming. Waterlogging and soil salinity are increasing due to increased shrimp farms also for poor drainage infrastructure and human modification. The area of agricultural land in 2011 was 19,657.12 acres,12,750.14 acres, and 38,774.70 acres in Keshabpur, Abhaynagar, and Manirampur, which changed to 12,668.70 acres (-36%), 7151.27 acres (-44%), and 32,809.30 acres (-16%) in 2021. Our hotspot analysis reveals that very high vulnerability to waterlogging due to floods was highest in Manirampur (15,464.09 acres). Finally, we proposed a new framework called IDCEM designed for monitoring land-use change, salinity, and waterlogging in the interior coast, which will indirectly help to promote food security and help in achieving sustainable development goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zia Ahmed
- Department of Geosciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, 39762, USA.
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Schneider KR. Nationally representative estimates of the cost of adequate diets, nutrient level drivers, and policy options for households in rural Malawi. FOOD POLICY 2022; 113:102275. [PMID: 36570775 PMCID: PMC9763653 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2022.102275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
A growing literature uses least-cost diets to evaluate how effectively a food system supports access to nutritious foods. We identify the cost of meeting nutrient requirements for whole households in rural Malawi from and the nutrient-level drivers thereof. From 2013 to 2017, we can identify a household least-cost diet only 60% of the time with an average cost of $2.32/person/day (2011 US$ PPP). We illustrate that larger households have more diverse nutrient needs and face a higher cost for 1000 calories of a sufficiently nutrient dense diet. Shadow price analysis shows riboflavin to be the costliest nutrient in the market. We use policy scenarios to understand what drives the infeasibility and high cost. Simulating the impact of selenium soil biofortification of maize results in a feasible diet 94% of the time at half the cost ($1.22/person/day on average) and eliminates the shadow price of copper. This is explained by insufficient selenium from sources low in copper such that under baseline conditions it is impossible to get enough selenium without too much copper. Even when feasible, to avoid copper, more higher cost foods enter the diet than would be otherwise needed to meet remaining nutrient requirements. Other value chain scenarios to increase the availability and lower the cost of nutrient-dense foods did not meaningfully change the diet cost results. Of direct relevance to Malawi, this study demonstrates more broadly how least-cost diet methods can be used to assess barriers to accessing an adequate diet and the potential impacts of policy options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate R. Schneider
- Johns Hopkins University, Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies, Washington, DC, USA
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Ghosh-Jerath S, Kapoor R, Bandhu A, Singh A, Downs S, Fanzo J. Indigenous Foods to Address Malnutrition: An Inquiry into the Diets and Nutritional Status of Women in the Indigenous Community of Munda Tribes of Jharkhand, India. Curr Dev Nutr 2022; 6:nzac102. [PMID: 36110104 PMCID: PMC9470035 DOI: 10.1093/cdn/nzac102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Indigenous people globally experience poor nutrition outcomes, with women facing the greater burden. Munda, a predominant tribe in Jharkhand, India, live in a biodiverse food environment but yet have high levels of malnutrition. Objectives To assess diets and the nutritional status of Munda tribal women and explore associations with their Indigenous food consumption, dietary diversity, and socioeconomic and demographic profiles. Methods A cross-sectional study with a longitudinal component to capture seasonal dietary intake was conducted in 11 villages of the Khunti district, Jharkhand. Household surveys and FFQs, supplemented with 2-d 24-h dietary recall and anthropometric assessments on 1 randomly selected woman per household were conducted. Results Limited access to diverse foods from a natural food environment (Food Accessed Diversity Index score of 0.3 ± 0.3) was observed. More than 90% women in both seasons had usual nutrient intakes below the estimated average requirements for all nutrients except protein and vitamin C; 35.5% of women were underweight. The mean Minimum Dietary Diversity Score among women (MDDS) was low [2.6 ± 0.6 in wet monsoon; 3 ± 0.7 in winters (acceptable ≥5)]. Higher MDDS contributed to higher usual nutrient intakes (P <0.001). Indigenous food intakes in both seasons (wet monsoon and winter) were low, e.g. Indigenous green leafy vegetables [10.5 and 27.8% of the recommended dietary intake (RDI), respectively], other vegetables (5.2% and 7.8% of RDI, respectively), and fruits (5.8 and 22.8% of RDI, respectively). Despite low intakes, the Indigenous food consumption score was positively associated with usual intake of vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin C, pyridoxine, and calcium (P < 0.05) in the wet monsoon and thiamine, riboflavin, and zinc (P < 0.001) in winters. After adjusting for covariates, Indigenous food consumption was associated with a higher usual intake of vitamin A (P < 0.001) in the wet monsoon season. Conclusion Contextual food-based interventions promoting Indigenous foods and increasing dietary diversity have the potential to address malnutrition in Munda women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suparna Ghosh-Jerath
- Indian Institute of Public Health-Delhi, Public Health Foundation of India, Gurgaon, India
| | - Ridhima Kapoor
- Indian Institute of Public Health-Delhi, Public Health Foundation of India, Gurgaon, India
| | - Ashish Bandhu
- School of Institute of Health Management Research, IIHMR University, Jaipur, India
| | - Archna Singh
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, India
| | - Shauna Downs
- Department of Urban-Global Public Health, Rutgers School of Public Health, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Jessica Fanzo
- Berman Institute of Bioethics, Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Washington, DC, USA
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Seasonal variability of women's dietary diversity and food supply: a cohort study in rural Burkina Faso. Public Health Nutr 2022; 25:2475-2487. [PMID: 34602118 PMCID: PMC9991763 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980021004171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the seasonal variations of women's dietary diversity (WDD) (items consumed and food supply) and its linkages with agriculture, market and wild resources. DESIGN A cohort of 300 women was followed-up over a year to investigate WDD and food sources (production, purchase or foraging). Monthly qualitative 24 h recalls allowed computing WDD Scores from a standard 10-food groups (FG) classification (WDDS-10). Associations between farm/women's characteristics and WDDS-10 were investigated using multivariate mixed models including interaction terms factor*months. SETTING Tuy province, Burkina Faso. PARTICIPANTS 300 women of reproductive age. RESULTS Both dietary diversity and food sources were seasonal. The mean WDDS-10 was relatively stable from August to January (ranging from 3·1 to 3·5 FG) when farm production predominated. The WDDS-10 gradually increased from February, concomitantly with an increase in food purchases (onions, tomatoes, mangoes) and reached its highest levels (>4 FG) from March to June, when food purchases were still relatively high and when more women consumed foraged fruits (shea plums and wild grapes). Women living on farms owning > 3 plough oxen and different animal species had significantly higher WDDS-10 than others (+0·28 and +0·35 FG, respectively). Women who practiced off-farm activities also had higher WDDS-10 than those who did not (+0·21 FG, P < 0·05). Other factors, for example, the number of foraged edible species, provided advantages in terms of dietary diversity only during certain seasons (October - January, P for interaction < 0·01). CONCLUSIONS Diversifying women's diets throughout the year requires complementary interventions aimed at diversifying production, promoting foraging and increasing income-generating activities to enable food purchasing.
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Milner D, Wolf L, Wijk MV, Hammond J. Market access and dietary diversity: A spatially explicit multi-level analysis in Southern and Western Kenya. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.740485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The risk of malnutrition, particularly micronutrient deficiency, is high in large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa for smallholder farmers. Access to diverse and nutritious food is a key component of food security, and a major development objective. It is widely accepted that good access to markets can play a key role in improving nutrition at the foodshed level. However, the magnitude and even the direction of the effect of increased market access on household dietary diversity (and thus food security) is not universal, with studies showing divergent results. One reason for these divergences may be that models do not account for place-based mediation effects, that is, farmers' local context can affect whether (and the extent to which) access to market is important to their nutrition. Drawing on household survey data from 914 Kenyan smallholder farmers from ten counties in South and West Kenya, we used a novel methodology to evaluate the role of market access in determining household dietary diversity. This methodology combines the clustering of households along places with similar characteristics and multi-level regression analysis to understand the place based variation in effects of different factors on dietary diversity. We found that, depending on how “access to market” is measured, there can be significant impacts on dietary diversity, and this is mediated by farm characteristics. For small farms with already good market access, higher diet diversity is associated with cultivating larger areas and owning larger livestock holdings, but not with easier market access. For isolated larger farms with a focus on livestock production, higher diet diversity is associated with easier market access (i.e., proximity to road), as well as greater livestock diversity. For medium-sized farms with good market access, diet diversity is mildly correlated with easier market access (i.e., proximity to road) but significantly associated with greater crop diversity. The need to account for place-based mediating effects is clearly important and highlights an exigency for greater use and development of localized models that can capture the extent to which effects might change when contexts change.
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Ludwig-Borycz EF, Wilson ML, Colecraft EK, Jones AD. A behavior change communication intervention, but not livelihood interventions, improves diet diversity and animal-source food consumption among Ghanaian women. Food Nutr Res 2022; 66:7570. [PMID: 35950103 PMCID: PMC9338446 DOI: 10.29219/fnr.v66.7570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Women of reproductive age (WRA), especially in sub-Saharan Africa, are vulnerable to micronutrient deficiencies driven largely by poor quality diets. Intervening into food value chains, on which many households in low- and middle-income countries depend for their livelihood, may be a promising approach to improving diets in these contexts. Objective In this pilot-scale randomized trial, we evaluated whether a multisectoral, food value chain intervention improved the diet diversity and the consumption of animal-source foods (ASFs) among WRA in Ghana. Design Twelve fish-smoking communities in two regions of Ghana with 296 eligible women were randomly assigned to one of three 9-month treatment arms: 1) behavior change communication (BCC) to promote improved diet quality through twice-weekly audio messages and bi-weekly peer-to-peer learning sessions; 2) BCC with microcredit to increase women’s incomes; or 3) BCC with provision of new smoke-oven technology. We assessed baseline-endline and between-treatment arm differences using a 10-food group diet diversity score (DDS), the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) indicator, and 7-day frequency of ASF consumption. Results Among 118 participants (39 in both treatment arm 1 and treatment arm 3, and 40 in treatment arm 2, with no participant refusals), DDS increased from a mean (SD) of 4.0 (1.3) at baseline to 5.1 (0.9) at endline (P-value < 0.0001). The proportion of women achieving the MDD-W indicator nearly doubled from baseline (35.6%) to endline (69.5%) (P-value < 0.0001). Frequency of ASF consumption similarly increased for meat and poultry (2.7 (4.1) to 4.7 (5.3); P-value < 0.0001) and eggs (1.5 (3.1) to 2.3 (4.9); P-value = 0.02). Few differences in these outcomes were observed among treatment arms. Conclusions A BCC intervention improved diet diversity and consumption of ASFs among participants. However, neither a group-based microcredit nor improved smoke oven intervention, both of which increased women’s income, led to additional dietary improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark L. Wilson
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Esi K. Colecraft
- Nutrition and Food Science Department, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Andrew D. Jones
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Andrew D. Jones, Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2029, USA. Tel.: 734-647-1881.
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Tulloch AIT, Oh RRY, Gallegos D. Environmental and public health co-benefits of consumer switches to immunity-supporting food. AMBIO 2022; 51:1658-1672. [PMID: 35076882 PMCID: PMC8787970 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01693-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
During COVID-19, there has been a surge in public interest for information on immunity-boosting foods. There is little scientific support for immunity-supporting properties of specific foods, but strong evidence for food choice impacts on other health outcomes (e.g. risk of non-communicable disease) and environmental sustainability. Here, we relate online recommendations for "immunity-boosting" foods across five continents to their environmental and human health impacts. More frequently recommended food items and groups are plant based and have lower land use and greenhouse gas emission impacts plus more positive health outcomes (reducing relative risks of mortality or chronic diet-related diseases) per serving of food. We identify trade-offs between environmental outcomes of increasing consumption of recommended food items, with aquatic environment impacts increasing with food recommendation frequency. People's reliance on the Internet for health information creates an opportunity to consolidate behaviour change towards consuming foods with multiple co-benefits. Our study identifies win-win options for nudging online information-seeking behaviour towards more sustainable choices for terrestrial biodiversity conservation and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayesha I. T. Tulloch
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000 Australia
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000 Australia
| | - Rachel R. Y. Oh
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Ecosystem Services, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Danielle Gallegos
- Faculty of Health, Woolworths Centre for Childhood Nutrition Research, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD 4101 Australia
- School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059 Australia
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Milheiras SG, Sallu SM, Loveridge R, Nnyiti P, Mwanga L, Baraka E, Lala M, Moore E, Shirima DD, Kioko EN, Marshall AR, Pfeifer M. Agroecological practices increase farmers' well-being in an agricultural growth corridor in Tanzania. AGRONOMY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 2022; 42:56. [PMID: 35722061 PMCID: PMC9202667 DOI: 10.1007/s13593-022-00789-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Millions of people rely on nature-rich farming systems for their subsistence and income. The contributions of nature to these systems are varied and key to their sustainability in the long term. Yet, agricultural stakeholders are often unaware or undervalue the relevance of those contributions, which can affect decisions concerning land management. There is limited knowledge on how farming practices and especially those that build more strongly on nature, including agroecological practices, may shape farmers' livelihoods and well-being. We aim to determine the effect that farmer perception of contributions from nature, socioeconomic conditions, and farming practices, have on outcomes related to food security and human well-being. We conducted 467 household surveys in an agricultural growth corridor in rural Tanzania, which is also essential for nature conservation due to its high biodiversity and its strategic location between several protected areas encompassing wetland, forest, and grassland habitats. Results show that implementing more agroecological practices at farm scale has a positive effect on farmer well-being in the study landscape. Results also indicate that higher awareness of benefits from nature, as well as engagement with agricultural extension services, are associated with higher number of agroecological practices applied in the farm. This research confirms the relevance of capacity-building initiatives to scale up the uptake of agroecological practices in the tropics. It also shows, using empirical evidence, that farming practices taking advantage of nature's contributions to people can positively affect food security and human well-being, even when those practices complement conventional ones, such as the use of synthetic inputs. Understanding the impact of agroecological farming on the well-being of smallholder farmers in the tropics paves the way for policy and program development that ensures global food demands are met in a sustainable way without compromising the well-being of some of the world's most vulnerable people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio G. Milheiras
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Agriculture & Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Susannah M. Sallu
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Robin Loveridge
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
- The Biodiversity Consultancy, Cambridge, UK
- Reforest Africa, Mang’ula, Kilombero District, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Petro Nnyiti
- Reforest Africa, Mang’ula, Kilombero District, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Lilian Mwanga
- Reforest Africa, Mang’ula, Kilombero District, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Elineema Baraka
- Reforest Africa, Mang’ula, Kilombero District, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Margherita Lala
- School of Earth and Environment, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Eleanor Moore
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Agriculture & Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Deo D. Shirima
- Reforest Africa, Mang’ula, Kilombero District, Morogoro, Tanzania
- Department of Ecosystems and Conservation, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Esther N. Kioko
- Invertebrate Zoology Section, Department of Zoology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Andrew R. Marshall
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
- Reforest Africa, Mang’ula, Kilombero District, Morogoro, Tanzania
- Tropical Forests and People Research Centre, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, Australia
- Flamingo Land Ltd., Malton, UK
| | - Marion Pfeifer
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Agriculture & Engineering, Newcastle University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
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Waha K, Accatino F, Godde C, Rigolot C, Bogard J, Domingues JP, Gotor E, Herrero M, Martin G, Mason-D’Croz D, Tacconi F, van Wijk M. The benefits and trade-offs of agricultural diversity for food security in low- and middle-income countries: A review of existing knowledge and evidence. GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gfs.2022.100645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Khonje MG, Ricker-Gilbert J, Muyanga M, Qaim M. Farm-level production diversity and child and adolescent nutrition in rural sub-Saharan Africa: a multicountry, longitudinal study. Lancet Planet Health 2022; 6:e391-e399. [PMID: 35550078 DOI: 10.1016/s2542-5196(22)00071-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Child malnutrition remains widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, especially in rural areas where many households are involved in subsistence farming. Increasing farm-level production diversity (FPD) is often considered a useful strategy to improve child diets and nutrition, but the empirical evidence is mixed. Most studies have investigated associations between FPD and dietary diversity. We therefore aimed to analyse associations between FPD and child and adolescent nutritional status. METHODS In this multicountry, longitudinal study, we used representative panel data from four countries in sub-Saharan Africa (Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, and Uganda) to test the hypothesis that higher FPD is positively associated with child and adolescent nutritional status. The data were from the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture collected between 2008 and 2019. We included data from all children and adolescents aged 0-18 years with available anthropometric data who were living in households involved in farming activities for home consumption, market sales, or both. FPD was measured in terms of the number of different crop and livestock species and food groups produced on each farm. Child and adolescent nutritional status was measured in terms of height-for-age Z scores (HAZ). We estimated panel data regression models with correlated random effects to control for confounding factors and time-invariant unobserved heterogeneity. FINDINGS The total sample size included 50 689 child and adolescent observations. In combined models, with data from all countries included, we found one additional species produced on the farm (crop and livestock combined) was associated with a mean 0·015 SD greater child or adolescent HAZ (p<0·0001). The role of FPD tended to decrease with better market access (in more remote locations mean 0·020 SD [p<0·0001] and in less remote locations mean 0·008 SD [p=0·091]). In individual-country models, the effects were smaller and statistically insignificant in three of the four countries. Livestock diversity had larger positive associations with HAZ than crop diversity (livestock diversity effect on HAZ mean 0·085 SD [p<0·0001] and crop diversity effect on HAZ mean 0·007 SD [p=0·080]). In Tanzania and Uganda, higher crop diversity was negatively associated with child and adolescent HAZ. INTERPRETATION Our findings suggest that further farm-level diversification is not a suitable general strategy to improve child and adolescent nutrition but might be useful in some situations. Livestock production seems to be conducive for improving child and adolescent nutrition on average. Context-specific approaches need to be developed. FUNDING None.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jacob Ricker-Gilbert
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Milu Muyanga
- MwAPATA Institute, Capital City, Lilongwe, Malawi; Department of Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI USA
| | - Matin Qaim
- Center for Development Research, ZEF, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Institute for Food and Resource Economics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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Ojha SN, Anand A, Sundriyal RC, Arya D. Traditional Dietary Knowledge of a Marginal Hill Community in the Central Himalaya: Implications for Food, Nutrition, and Medicinal Security. Front Pharmacol 2022; 12:789360. [PMID: 35431910 PMCID: PMC9006986 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2021.789360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Himalayan communities illustrate a rich agriculture–medicine use system that not only provides adequate dietary diversity and nutrition but also delivers therapeutic security. This study explores the food–medicine interface as observed by the marginal hill communities in the central Himalaya with an aim to assess traditional agriculture and food plants with relation to dietary diversity and nutritional and medicinal values based on comprehensive research. A total of 445 respondents were interviewed to obtain data on food intakes using dietary recall methods and dietary diversity indices (DDIs). The ethnomedical use of plant species was gathered from respondents as well as from various published studies for respective species. Nutritional parameters were collected from the Indian Food Composition Table developed by the ICMR, India to analyze the average nutritional intake. The traditional food system achieves the dietary and nutritional needs of the community within the standard norms. The average household dietary diversity of 7.45, 7.34, and 8.39 in summer, monsoon, and winter seasons, respectively, sustain 79, 74, and 93% of energy requirements in respective, seasons. The average food consumption score (FCS) was 73.46, and all the food exhibited rich phytochemicals, such as amino acids, alkaloids, carotenoids, flavonoids, glycosides, and phenolic acids. These plants also provided effective treatments against several ailments and illnesses, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetics, gastrointestinal issues, and inflammation The indigenous cuisines also have significant food and medicinal values. Considering that the community had significant knowledge of food systems with their nutritional and therapeutic utility, there is a need to protect and document this indigenous knowledge. Also, most of the crops are still under cultivation, so there is a need to create more awareness about the nutritional and therapeutic value of the system so that it could be retained intact and continued. The implications of this research are of both academic importance and practical significance to ensure food–medicine security and avoid malnutrition among rural communities. It is expected that the study would lead to renewed thinking and policy attention on traditional agriculture for its role in food and nutritional security that may lead to a sustainable food supply system.
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Affiliation(s)
- S N Ojha
- G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, India
| | - Aryan Anand
- G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, India
| | - R C Sundriyal
- G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, India.,Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, India
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MacLaren C, Aliyu KT, Waswa W, Storkey J, Claessens L, Vanlauwe B, Mead A. Can the Right Composition and Diversity of Farmed Species Improve Food Security Among Smallholder Farmers? FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.744700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Food security and livelihoods among smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are often constrained by limited farm resource endowment. It can be difficult to improve resource endowment given barriers such as low land availability and the unaffordability of agricultural inputs, so here we ask whether farmers can gain a better return on their resources through optimizing their farm strategy in terms of the composition and/or diversity of crop and livestock species raised. Our survey of 1,133 smallholder farmers in western Kenya and northern Nigeria, using a modified version of RHoMIS, indicated that different farm strategies were related to differences in food security and farm incomes. In particular, we found that it was possible for farms with a high species richness but low resource endowment to achieve similar or better food security and income outcomes than farms with low species richness and high resource endowment. This indicates strong potential for diversification to improve food security and livelihoods among smallholder farmers. However, further research will be required to prove a causal relationship. We also noted some exceptions to this trend that require investigation: increasing species richness was not beneficial for low-resourced, livestock-focused farmers in western Kenya, and increasing species richness was associated with a decline in dietary diversity in northern Nigeria (due to declines in purchased dietary diversity that outweighed increases in on-farm and other sources of dietary diversity). Similar analyses could be applied to a wider RHoMIS dataset covering a greater diversity of countries and agro-ecological zones to help identify where, and why, different farm strategies result in better or worse outcomes for smallholder farmers.
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Zimmerer KS, Jones AD, de Haan S, Creed-Kanashiro H, Tubbeh RM, Hultquist C, Tello Villavicencio MN, Plasencia Amaya F, Nguyen KT. Integrating Social-Ecological and Political-Ecological Models of Agrobiodiversity With Nutrient Management of Keystone Food Spaces to Support SDG 2. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2022.734943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Agrobiodiversity—the biodiversity of food, agriculture, and land use—is essential to U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 2 by providing crucial food and nutritional quality of diets combined with strengthening agroecological sustainability. Focusing on the agrobiodiversity nexus to SDG 2, the current study utilized the interdisciplinary Agrobiodiversity Knowledge Framework (AKF), household-level surveys, and biodiversity sampling of crop fields and home gardens in a case study in Huánuco, Peru, in 2017. Statistical measures estimated agrobiodiversity of crop fields (n = 268 households) and home gardens (n=159 households) based on species richness (3.7 and 10.2 species/household, in fields and gardens, respectively) and evenness (Shannon diversity index; 0.70 and 1.83 in fields and gardens, respectively). Robust results of Poisson and OLS regression models identified several AKF-guided determinants of agrobiodiversity. Estimated species richness and evenness were significantly associated with 12 social-ecological and political-ecological factors from the four AKF thematic axes: farm characteristics and agroecology; diets and nutrition; markets, governance and sociocultural practices; and global change. This study's AKF approach, agrobiodiversity modeling, agroecological characterization, and field-based case study advanced a series of useful research insights, comparisons, and conceptual innovations to address SDG 2. Characterization of nutrient management through soil- and plant-focused cultural practices and livelihood roles distinguished the “keystone agrobiodiversity-and-food space” of multi-species maize fields (maizales) identified in AKF regression and characterization results. This key space furnished crucial food-nutrition and agroecological benefits that can be expanded by overcoming identified barriers. AKF-guided models incorporating key agrobiodiversity-and-food spaces and ecological nutrient management are needed to strengthen SDG 2 strategies.
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Azzarri C, Haile B, Letta M. Plant different, eat different? Insights from participatory agricultural research. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265947. [PMID: 35333904 PMCID: PMC8956185 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
We examine the association between on-farm production diversity on household dietary diversity in Malawi using microdata collected as part of an environmentally sustainable agricultural intensification program. The program primarily focuses on the integration of legumes into the cropping system through maize-legume intercropping and legume-legume intercropping. Relative to staple cereals such as maize, legumes are rich in micronutrients, contain better-quality protein, and lead to nitrogen fixation. Given the systematic difference we document between program beneficiaries and randomly sampled non-beneficiary (control) households, we employ causal instrumental variables mediation analysis to account for non-random selection and possible simultaneity between production and consumption decisions. We find a significant positive treatment effect on dietary diversity, led by an increase in production diversity. Analysis of potential pathways show that effects on dietary diversity stem mostly from consumption of diverse food items purchased from the market made possible through higher agricultural income. These findings highlight that, while increasing production for markets can enhance dietary diversity through higher income that would make affordable an expanded set of food items, the production of more nutritious crops such as pulses may not necessarily translate into greater own consumption. This may be due to the persistence of dietary habits, tastes, or other local factors that favor consumption of staples such as maize and encourage sales of more profitable and nutritious food items such as pulses. Pulses are a more affordable and environmentally sustainable source of protein than animal source food, and efforts should be made to enhance their nutritional awareness and contribution to sustainable food systems and healthier diets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Azzarri
- International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Beliyou Haile
- International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, DC, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Marco Letta
- DiSSE—Department of Social Sciences and Economics, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Hanley-Cook GT, Daly AJ, Remans R, Jones AD, Murray KA, Huybrechts I, De Baets B, Lachat C. Food biodiversity: Quantifying the unquantifiable in human diets. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr 2022; 63:7837-7851. [PMID: 35297716 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2022.2051163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Dietary diversity is an established public health principle, and its measurement is essential for studies of diet quality and food security. However, conventional between food group scores fail to capture the nutritional variability and ecosystem services delivered by dietary richness and dissimilarity within food groups, or the relative distribution (i.e., evenness or moderation) of e.g., species or varieties across whole diets. Summarizing food biodiversity in an all-encompassing index is problematic. Therefore, various diversity indices have been proposed in ecology, yet these require methodological adaption for integration in dietary assessments. In this narrative review, we summarize the key conceptual issues underlying the measurement of food biodiversity at an edible species level, assess the ecological diversity indices previously applied to food consumption and food supply data, discuss their relative suitability, and potential amendments for use in (quantitative) dietary intake studies. Ecological diversity indices are often used without justification through the lens of nutrition. To illustrate: (i) dietary species richness fails to account for the distribution of foods across the diet or their functional traits; (ii) evenness indices, such as the Gini-Simpson index, require widely accepted relative abundance units (e.g., kcal, g, cups) and evidence-based moderation weighting factors; and (iii) functional dissimilarity indices are constructed based on an arbitrary selection of distance measures, cutoff criteria, and number of phylogenetic, nutritional, and morphological traits. Disregard for these limitations can lead to counterintuitive results and ambiguous or incorrect conclusions about the food biodiversity within diets or food systems. To ensure comparability and robustness of future research, we advocate food biodiversity indices that: (i) satisfy key axioms; (ii) can be extended to account for disparity between edible species; and (iii) are used in combination, rather than in isolation.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2022.2051163 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Giles T Hanley-Cook
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Aisling J Daly
- Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Roseline Remans
- The Alliance of Bioversity International and International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Andrew D Jones
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kris A Murray
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK
- School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, MRC Unit The Gambia at London, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Inge Huybrechts
- Nutrition and Metabolism Branch, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Lyon, France
| | - Bernard De Baets
- Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Carl Lachat
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Farm production diversity and women's dietary diversity: Evidence from central Tunisia. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263276. [PMID: 35130282 PMCID: PMC8820623 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In the context of studies on the effects of agricultural production diversity, there are debates in the scientific community as to the level of diversification appropriate for improving dietary diversity. In Tunisia, agriculture is a strategic sector for the economy and a critical pillar of its food sovereignty. Using instrumental variable methods to account for endogeneity, we have estimated the association between agricultural production diversity and women’s dietary diversity among smallholder farming households in the Sidi Bouzid governorate (central Tunisia). Although we found a low level of agricultural production diversity and a fairly diversified diet among women, we observed a systematic weak positive association between five different indicators of agricultural production diversity and women’s dietary diversity. We observed a stronger positive association between women’s dietary diversity and women being more educated and households being wealthier. Neither diversity of food supplies in food markets nor market distance were associated with women’s dietary diversity, whereas we observed a higher level of consumption of some products (dairy) when they were produced on the farm.
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Hawkins P, Geza W, Mabhaudhi T, Sutherland C, Queenan K, Dangour A, Scheelbeek P. Dietary and agricultural adaptations to drought among smallholder farmers in South Africa: A qualitative study. WEATHER AND CLIMATE EXTREMES 2022; 35:100413. [PMID: 35251923 PMCID: PMC8889023 DOI: 10.1016/j.wace.2022.100413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Building resilience to environmental change is an integral part of long-term climate adaptation planning and local policy. There is an increased understanding of the impact of climate change on global crop production however, little focus has been given to local adaptation pathways and rural smallholder community responses, especially regarding food security. It is becoming increasingly evident that local level decision-making plays a vital role in reducing vulnerability to environmental change. This research aimed to qualitatively investigate coping and adaptive strategies adopted by smallholder farming households to respond to the impacts of drought in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Focus group discussions (n = 7) consisting of 5-9 participants and individual interviews (n = 9) using pre-tested topic guides, involving a total of 57 adults were conducted in rural areas of drought-affected districts: Msinga, Richmond and Umbumbulu of KwaZulu-Natal, in July 2018. The data were analysed using thematic analysis in NVivo 12. Thematic analysis identified three principal themes: 1. Perceived effects of droughts on the local food system and diets; 2. Current coping strategies; and 3. Enablers for successful adaptation. All sites reported a change in food consumption habits, with the majority perceiving drought to be the main driver behind a shift from vegetable-based to starch-based diets and decreased animal source food consumption. Only short-term coping strategies were implemented across the study sites. However, knowledge of long-term adaptation strategies existed but was unattainable to most respondents. Recommendations of perceived context-specific long-term adaptation strategies that could be used at a local scale were communicated by the respondents. However, they would need external help to actualize them. A need exists to support smallholder communities' short-term response methods to drought to achieve more holistic resilience and successful adaptation. Short-term adaptation strategies, if implemented alone, often have significant trade-offs with longer-term adaptation and building resilience. This study highlights the need for targeted, contextualised policy solutions to improve smallholder productivity during drought through a strategic combination of both short- and longer-term adaptation measures, i.e. short-term adaptation should be guided by a long-term adaptation strategy. Proper planning, including the use of climate scenarios combined with information on nutritional status, is needed to develop context-specific and transformative adaptation strategies. These strategies should aim to strengthen resilience at a local level and should be included as policy recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poppy Hawkins
- Centre for Agriculture, Food and Environmental Management (CAFEM), University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Wendy Geza
- School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi
- School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Catherine Sutherland
- School of Built Environment & Development Studies, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Kevin Queenan
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, United Kingdom
| | - Alan Dangour
- Centre on Climate Change & Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom
| | - Pauline Scheelbeek
- Centre on Climate Change & Planetary Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom
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Vansant EC, Mausch K, Ickowitz A, McMullin S, Karanja A, Rasmussen LV. What are the links between tree‐based farming and dietary quality for rural households? A review of emerging evidence in low‐ and middle‐income countries. PEOPLE AND NATURE 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pan3.10306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Emilie C. Vansant
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Kai Mausch
- World Agroforestry (ICRAF) Nairobi Kenya
| | - Amy Ickowitz
- Center for International Forestry Research Bogor Indonesia
| | | | | | - Laura Vang Rasmussen
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
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Reshaping Food Policy and Governance to Incentivize and Empower Disadvantaged Groups for Improving Nutrition. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14030648. [PMID: 35277007 PMCID: PMC8838405 DOI: 10.3390/nu14030648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has exacerbated global malnutrition challenges, disrupted food supply chains, and left poor and vulnerable people unable to produce and access safe and affordable food, especially in developing countries. Food policy and governance are currently malfunctioning, despite their recognized roles in improving food security and public nutrition in many local and national contexts. This article reviews existing food policies and governance with implications for disadvantaged groups in the food systems, particularly smallholder farmers, women, and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), highlighting the importance of reshaping food policies and governance. To end malnutrition in the post-COVID era, multiple sectors, including health, agriculture, social protection, education, and infrastructure, must make greater collaborative efforts to develop and implement food and nutrition policies. Several recommendations for reshaping food policy interventions and governance are summarized.
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Pandey DK, Momin KC, Dubey SK, Adhiguru P. Biodiversity in agricultural and food systems of jhum landscape in the West Garo Hills, North-eastern India. Food Secur 2022; 14:791-804. [PMID: 35069938 PMCID: PMC8761519 DOI: 10.1007/s12571-021-01251-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Jhum is a swidden agriculture agroforestry system indigenous to India. It enriches crop diversity and dietary diversity, helping to ensure food security and nutrition. However, jhum is now being rapidly abandoned in favour of intensive agriculture, often involving monoculture. Such changes in land use are a major threat to local food security. Based on a survey of 97 households in four villages of the West Garo Hills in the state of Meghalaya in north-eastern India, jhum and the corresponding food diversity (as maintained by the Garo indigenous communities) were examined. We used a mixed-methods approach to quantify the contribution to dietary diversity, and food and nutritional security. The jhum system of farming comprised of 39 crops and four indigenous breeds of livestock, which were categorized into five core food groups that sustain nutritional security and the food culture of indigenous people. The traditional food basket is supplemented with wild edible plants collected from fringes of forest and jhum fallows that are part of the system. The traditional foods of Garo communities, that are drawn almost entirely from locally available sources, are a significant part of local culture, and serve to reinforce conservation of biodiversity. The traditional food diversity guarded by indigenous people can serve as a basis for designing and implementing public policies aimed at ensuring food security of those regions that practise such systems, and more widely. Given this close interdependence between agrobiodiversity, culture, and livelihoods prevailing in the community, the present study recommended for keeping some area under traditional land use, supplemented with fresh measures to ensure its economic viability.
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Khoury CK, Brush S, Costich DE, Curry HA, de Haan S, Engels JMM, Guarino L, Hoban S, Mercer KL, Miller AJ, Nabhan GP, Perales HR, Richards C, Riggins C, Thormann I. Crop genetic erosion: understanding and responding to loss of crop diversity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:84-118. [PMID: 34515358 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Crop diversity underpins the productivity, resilience and adaptive capacity of agriculture. Loss of this diversity, termed crop genetic erosion, is therefore concerning. While alarms regarding evident declines in crop diversity have been raised for over a century, the magnitude, trajectory, drivers and significance of these losses remain insufficiently understood. We outline the various definitions, measurements, scales and sources of information on crop genetic erosion. We then provide a synthesis of evidence regarding changes in the diversity of traditional crop landraces on farms, modern crop cultivars in agriculture, crop wild relatives in their natural habitats and crop genetic resources held in conservation repositories. This evidence indicates that marked losses, but also maintenance and increases in diversity, have occurred in all these contexts, the extent depending on species, taxonomic and geographic scale, and region, as well as analytical approach. We discuss steps needed to further advance knowledge around the agricultural and societal significance, as well as conservation implications, of crop genetic erosion. Finally, we propose actions to mitigate, stem and reverse further losses of crop diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin K Khoury
- International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Km 17, Recta Cali-Palmira, Apartado Aéreo 6713, 763537, Cali, Colombia
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, 1 N. Grand Blvd, St Louis, MO, 63103, USA
- San Diego Botanic Garden, 230 Quail Gardens Dr., Encinitas, CA, 92024, USA
| | - Stephen Brush
- University of California Davis, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Denise E Costich
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Carretera México-Veracruz, Km. 45, El Batán, 56237, Texcoco, México
| | - Helen Anne Curry
- Department of History and Philosophy of Science, University of Cambridge, Free School Lane, Cambridge, CB2 3RH, UK
| | - Stef de Haan
- International Potato Center (CIP), Avenida La Molina 1895, La Molina, Apartado Postal 1558, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Luigi Guarino
- Global Crop Diversity Trust, Platz der Vereinten Nationen 7, 53113, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sean Hoban
- The Morton Arboretum, The Center for Tree Science, 4100 IL-53, Lisle, IL, 60532, USA
| | - Kristin L Mercer
- Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - Allison J Miller
- Department of Biology, Saint Louis University, 1 N. Grand Blvd, St Louis, MO, 63103, USA
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 N Warson Rd, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA
| | - Gary P Nabhan
- Southwest Center and Institute of the Environment, University of Arizona, 1401 E. First St., PO Box 210185, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0185, USA
| | - Hugo R Perales
- Departamento de Agroecología, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, San Cristóbal, Chiapas, 29290, México
| | - Chris Richards
- National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, 1111 South Mason Street, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
| | - Chance Riggins
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, 331 Edward R. Madigan Lab, 1201 W. Gregory Dr., Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Imke Thormann
- Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE), Information and Coordination Centre for Biological Diversity (IBV), Deichmanns Aue 29, 53179, Bonn, Germany
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Nkonde C, Audain K, Kiwanuka‐Lubinda RN, Marinda P. Effect of agricultural diversification on dietary diversity in rural households with children under 5 years of age in Zambia. Food Sci Nutr 2021; 9:6274-6285. [PMID: 34760257 PMCID: PMC8565192 DOI: 10.1002/fsn3.2587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Micronutrient deficiencies in low-income countries are associated with the monotonous consumption of nutrient-deficient crops, contributing to childhood stunting with far-reaching socioeconomic consequences. To promote nutrition sensitive agriculture, policy makers in such countries have embarked on policy initiatives that encourage agricultural diversification in smallholder farming systems. This paper investigates the link between agricultural diversification and two key indicators of food and nutrition security among children under 5 years in rural Zambia. Data from the 2015 Rural Agricultural Livelihoods Survey and regression models are used to explain household dietary diversity and months of inadequate household food provisioning among 7934 households. Factors associated with the key outcome variables include land cultivated, household size, total livestock units, household head education, households receiving extension information, and use of productivity-enhancing inputs such as fertilizers. Although the results demonstrate that agricultural diversification is positively associated with the household dietary diversity score, the relationship is not statistically significant. Further, the study findings illustrate that agricultural diversity is negatively associated with months of inadequate household food provisioning but that this relationship is also not statistically significant. The implication for policy is that other interventions such as productivity enhancement and behavioral change communication need to be scaled up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chewe Nkonde
- Department of Agricultural Economics & ExtensionSchool of Agricultural SciencesUniversity of ZambiaLusakaZambia
| | - Keiron Audain
- Department of Food Science & NutritionSchool of Agricultural SciencesUniversity of ZambiaLusakaZambia
| | - Rebecca N. Kiwanuka‐Lubinda
- Department of Agricultural Economics & ExtensionSchool of Agricultural SciencesUniversity of ZambiaLusakaZambia
| | - Pamela Marinda
- Department of Food Science & NutritionSchool of Agricultural SciencesUniversity of ZambiaLusakaZambia
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Wang Z, Chen Y, Tang S, Chen S, Gong S, Jiang X, Wang L, Zhang Y. Dietary Diversity and Nutrient Intake of Han and Dongxiang Smallholder Farmers in Poverty Areas of Northwest China. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13113908. [PMID: 34836163 PMCID: PMC8621596 DOI: 10.3390/nu13113908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the status of dietary diversity and nutrient intake among Han and Dongxiang smallholder farmers in poor rural areas of northwest China. In this cross-sectional study, dietary intake was assessed in 499 smallholder farmers aged 18–75 years from two nationally designated impoverished counties in Gansu Province, China, using three consecutive 24 h dietary recalls. The dietary diversity score (DDS) and nutrient adequacy ratio (NAR) were adopted to assess dietary diversity and micronutrient adequacy, respectively. The mean DDS (range from 1 to 9) in participants was relatively low (3.81 ± 1.01). Consumption of grains was excessive, while consumption of vegetables, fruits, meat, beans, eggs, fish, and dairy was inadequate. The NAR values were higher in Han Chinese, with the exceptions of vitamin C, potassium, pyridoxine, and selenium (p < 0.05). For each nutrient, the high DDS group had a higher mean NAR (p < 0.05), except for pyridoxine. High household monthly income, being Han Chinese, high DDS, and being aged over 45 years were positively associated with mean adequacy ratio (MAR) of 14 micronutrients evaluated. Lack of dietary diversity and insufficient intake of essential micronutrients are public health concerns in northwest China. Nutrition education and other proper methods to address these issues are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Wang
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Z.W.); (Y.C.); (S.T.); (S.C.)
| | - Youhai Chen
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Z.W.); (Y.C.); (S.T.); (S.C.)
| | - Shihua Tang
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Z.W.); (Y.C.); (S.T.); (S.C.)
| | - Siqi Chen
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Z.W.); (Y.C.); (S.T.); (S.C.)
| | - Shaoqing Gong
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China;
| | - Xinying Jiang
- Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA;
| | - Liang Wang
- Department of Public Health, Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76798, USA
- Correspondence: (L.W.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Ying Zhang
- School of Public Health, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; (Z.W.); (Y.C.); (S.T.); (S.C.)
- Correspondence: (L.W.); (Y.Z.)
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Indigenous vegetables: a sustainable approach to improve micronutrient adequacy in Tanzanian women of childbearing age. Eur J Clin Nutr 2021; 75:1475-1482. [PMID: 33531639 DOI: 10.1038/s41430-021-00865-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Increasing dietary diversity is a viable strategy for addressing micronutrient malnutrition in women of childbearing age (WCA) from low-income countries. Recently, it has been demonstrated that some indigenous vegetables (IV) with high nutrient density may help to ameliorate micronutrient's intake. The Minimum Dietary Diversity index for Women (MDD-W) could be considered as a proxy to describe one important dimension of women's diet quality. This cross-sectional study aimed at exploring aspects contributing to micronutrients adequacy in Tanzanian WCA, with a focus on IV consumption and other socio-demographic factors. SUBJECTS/METHODS Data collection was conducted among urban and peri-urban women in Arusha city, Tanzania. Socio-demographic factors were collected using a structured interview. Information on IV consumption and MDD-W calculation were obtained using a 24-h recall. RESULTS One-hundred and forty-one women aged 14-49 years were interviewed. Sixteen per cent of the sample consumed at least one portion of IV/day. The total median MDD-W was 4.0 (IQR. 3.0-5.0) and it was adequate in the 44% of the sample. Women who consumed IV had MDD-W 0.66 points (95% CI: 0.02-1.30, p = 0.046) higher than those who did not; consuming IV had an odds ratio of more than three times concerning women not consuming IV (OR: 3.30, 95% CI: 1.24-8.81, p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS The IV consumption is positively associated with micronutrient adequacy and its absence from the diet can be an indicator of micronutrient deficiencies in vulnerable people such as WCA. For that reason, this study suggests that IV consumption may improve micronutrient deficiency in WCA.
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Hanley-Cook GT, Huybrechts I, Biessy C, Remans R, Kennedy G, Deschasaux-Tanguy M, Murray KA, Touvier M, Skeie G, Kesse-Guyot E, Argaw A, Casagrande C, Nicolas G, Vineis P, Millett CJ, Weiderpass E, Ferrari P, Dahm CC, Bueno-de-Mesquita HB, Sandanger TM, Ibsen DB, Freisling H, Ramne S, Jannasch F, van der Schouw YT, Schulze MB, Tsilidis KK, Tjønneland A, Ardanaz E, Bodén S, Cirera L, Gargano G, Halkjær J, Jakszyn P, Johansson I, Katzke V, Masala G, Panico S, Rodriguez-Barranco M, Sacerdote C, Srour B, Tumino R, Riboli E, Gunter MJ, Jones AD, Lachat C. Food biodiversity and total and cause-specific mortality in 9 European countries: An analysis of a prospective cohort study. PLoS Med 2021; 18:e1003834. [PMID: 34662340 PMCID: PMC8559947 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Food biodiversity, encompassing the variety of plants, animals, and other organisms consumed as food and drink, has intrinsic potential to underpin diverse, nutritious diets and improve Earth system resilience. Dietary species richness (DSR), which is recommended as a crosscutting measure of food biodiversity, has been positively associated with the micronutrient adequacy of diets in women and young children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the relationships between DSR and major health outcomes have yet to be assessed in any population. METHODS AND FINDINGS We examined the associations between DSR and subsequent total and cause-specific mortality among 451,390 adults enrolled in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study (1992 to 2014, median follow-up: 17 years), free of cancer, diabetes, heart attack, or stroke at baseline. Usual dietary intakes were assessed at recruitment with country-specific dietary questionnaires (DQs). DSR of an individual's yearly diet was calculated based on the absolute number of unique biological species in each (composite) food and drink. Associations were assessed by fitting multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models. In the EPIC cohort, 2 crops (common wheat and potato) and 2 animal species (cow and pig) accounted for approximately 45% of self-reported total dietary energy intake [median (P10-P90): 68 (40 to 83) species consumed per year]. Overall, higher DSR was inversely associated with all-cause mortality rate. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) comparing total mortality in the second, third, fourth, and fifth (highest) quintiles (Qs) of DSR to the first (lowest) Q indicate significant inverse associations, after stratification by sex, age, and study center and adjustment for smoking status, educational level, marital status, physical activity, alcohol intake, and total energy intake, Mediterranean diet score, red and processed meat intake, and fiber intake [HR (95% CI): 0.91 (0.88 to 0.94), 0.80 (0.76 to 0.83), 0.69 (0.66 to 0.72), and 0.63 (0.59 to 0.66), respectively; PWald < 0.001 for trend]. Absolute death rates among participants in the highest and lowest fifth of DSR were 65.4 and 69.3 cases/10,000 person-years, respectively. Significant inverse associations were also observed between DSR and deaths due to cancer, heart disease, digestive disease, and respiratory disease. An important study limitation is that our findings were based on an observational cohort using self-reported dietary data obtained through single baseline food frequency questionnaires (FFQs); thus, exposure misclassification and residual confounding cannot be ruled out. CONCLUSIONS In this large Pan-European cohort, higher DSR was inversely associated with total and cause-specific mortality, independent of sociodemographic, lifestyle, and other known dietary risk factors. Our findings support the potential of food (species) biodiversity as a guiding principle of sustainable dietary recommendations and food-based dietary guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giles T. Hanley-Cook
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Inge Huybrechts
- Nutritional Epidemiology Group, Nutrition and Metabolism Section, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France
| | - Carine Biessy
- Nutritional Methodology and Biostatistics Group, Nutrition and Metabolism Section, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France
| | - Roseline Remans
- Bioversity International, Heverlee, Belgium
- Department of Agrotechnology and Food Sciences, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Gina Kennedy
- Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Mélanie Deschasaux-Tanguy
- Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Inserm U1153, Inrae U1125, Cnam, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), Epidemiology and Statistics Research Center—University of Paris (CRESS), Bobigny, France
| | - Kris A. Murray
- MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- MRC Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Fajara, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Mathilde Touvier
- Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Inserm U1153, Inrae U1125, Cnam, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), Epidemiology and Statistics Research Center—University of Paris (CRESS), Bobigny, France
| | - Guri Skeie
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Emmanuelle Kesse-Guyot
- Sorbonne Paris Nord University, Inserm U1153, Inrae U1125, Cnam, Nutritional Epidemiology Research Team (EREN), Epidemiology and Statistics Research Center—University of Paris (CRESS), Bobigny, France
| | - Alemayehu Argaw
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Population and Family Health, Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Corinne Casagrande
- Nutritional Methodology and Biostatistics Group, Nutrition and Metabolism Section, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France
| | - Geneviève Nicolas
- Biomarkers Group, Nutrition and Metabolism Section, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France
| | - Paolo Vineis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christopher J. Millett
- Public Health Policy Evaluation Unit, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elisabete Weiderpass
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France
| | - Pietro Ferrari
- Nutritional Methodology and Biostatistics Group, Nutrition and Metabolism Section, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France
| | | | - H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita
- Department for Determinants of Chronic Diseases (DCD), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Bilthoven, the Netherlands
| | - Torkjel M. Sandanger
- Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT, The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Daniel B. Ibsen
- Department of Public Health, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Heinz Freisling
- Nutritional Methodology and Biostatistics Group, Nutrition and Metabolism Section, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France
| | - Stina Ramne
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Franziska Jannasch
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), München-Neuherberg, Germany
- NutriAct—Competence Cluster Nutrition Research Berlin-Potsdam, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Yvonne T. van der Schouw
- Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Matthias B. Schulze
- Department of Molecular Epidemiology, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal, Germany
- Institute of Nutritional Sciences, University of Potsdam, Nuthetal, Germany
| | - Konstantinos K. Tsilidis
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Anne Tjønneland
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Eva Ardanaz
- Navarra Public Health Institute, Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Stina Bodén
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Oncology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lluís Cirera
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Epidemiology, Murcia Regional Health Council—IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain
- Department of Health and Social Sciences, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Giuliana Gargano
- Epidemiology and Prevention Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - Jytte Halkjær
- Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Paula Jakszyn
- Unit of Nutrition and Cancer, Cancer Epidemiology Research Program, Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO-IDIBELL), L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
- Blanquerna School of Health Sciences, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ingegerd Johansson
- School of Dentistry, Cariology, Department of Odontology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Verena Katzke
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Giovanna Masala
- Cancer Risk Factors and Life-Style Epidemiology Unit, Institute for Cancer Research, Prevention and Clinical Network (ISPRO), Florence, Italy
| | - Salvatore Panico
- Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Chirurgia, Federico II University, Naples, Italy
| | - Miguel Rodriguez-Barranco
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Andalusian School of Public Health (EASP), Granada, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Biosanitaria de Granada (ibs.GRANADA), Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Carlotta Sacerdote
- Unit of Cancer Epidemiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza University-Hospital and Centre for Cancer Prevention (CPO), Turin, Italy
| | - Bernard Srour
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rosario Tumino
- Cancer Registry and Histopathology Department, Azienda Sanitaria Provinciale Ragusa (ASP 7), Ragusa, Italy
| | - Elio Riboli
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marc J. Gunter
- Nutritional Epidemiology Group, Nutrition and Metabolism Section, International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France
| | - Andrew D. Jones
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Carl Lachat
- Department of Food Technology, Safety and Health, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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Crop diversity is associated with higher child diet diversity in Ethiopia, particularly among low-income households, but not in Vietnam. Public Health Nutr 2021; 24:5857-5868. [PMID: 34528505 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980021003281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To examine associations of household crop diversity with school-aged child dietary diversity in Vietnam and Ethiopia and mechanisms underlying these associations. DESIGN We created a child diet diversity score (DDS) using data on seven food groups consumed in the last 24 h. Generalised estimating equations were used to model associations of household-level crop diversity, measured as a count of crop species richness (CSR) and of plant crop nutritional functional richness (CNFR), with DDS. We examined effect modification by household wealth and subsistence orientation, and mediation by the farm's market orientation. SETTING Two survey years of longitudinal data from the Young Lives cohort. PARTICIPANTS Children (aged 5 years in 2006 and 8 years in 2009) from rural farming households in Ethiopia (n 1012) and Vietnam (n 1083). RESULTS There was a small, positive association between household CNFR and DDS in Ethiopia (CNFR-DDS, β = 0·13; (95 % CI 0·07, 0·19)), but not in Vietnam. Associations of crop diversity and child diet diversity were strongest among poor households in Ethiopia and among subsistence-oriented households in Vietnam. Agricultural earnings positively mediated the crop diversity-diet diversity association in Ethiopia. DISCUSSION Children from households that are poorer and those that rely more on their own agricultural production for food may benefit most from increased crop diversity.
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Farm Production Diversification and Dietary Diversity among Subsistence Farming Households: Panel Data Evidence from South Africa. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su131810325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Improving the production of a variety of foods by subsistence farmers has been identified as a key strategy for improving dietary diversity. However, there is limited evidence in South Africa on how one’s own production is linked to dietary diversity. This study relies on nationally representative panel data to investigate the extent to which farm production diversity is correlated with dietary diversity. The data indicated a moderate level of household dietary diversity that has been on a declining trend between 2008 and 2017. The farm households produced three food groups (meat, cereals, and vegetables), suggesting more reliance on food purchases than own production. The study found a positive relationship between own production diversification and dietary diversity and that dietary diversity varied by demographics and socio-economic characteristics of households. However, production diversity was not significantly associated with the consumption of micronutrient-rich foods such as fruits or vegetables. Higher levels of education, income per capita, food expenditure, and geographic location were some of the key drivers of dietary diversity among subsistence households. The findings suggest that encouraging subsistence farming households to produce various crop and animal species can be an effective strategy to improve dietary diversity among poor households in South Africa.
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Nicholson CC, Emery BF, Niles MT. Global relationships between crop diversity and nutritional stability. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5310. [PMID: 34493729 PMCID: PMC8423801 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25615-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutritional stability – a food system’s capacity to provide sufficient nutrients despite disturbance – is an important, yet challenging to measure outcome of diversified agriculture. Using 55 years of data across 184 countries, we assemble 22,000 bipartite crop-nutrient networks to quantify nutritional stability by simulating crop and nutrient loss in a country, and assess its relationship to crop diversity across regions, over time and between imports versus in country production. We find a positive, saturating relationship between crop diversity and nutritional stability across countries, but also show that over time nutritional stability remained stagnant or decreased in all regions except Asia. These results are attributable to diminishing returns on crop diversity, with recent gains in crop diversity among crops with fewer nutrients, or with nutrients already in a country’s food system. Finally, imports are positively associated with crop diversity and nutritional stability, indicating that many countries’ nutritional stability is market exposed. Crop diversification could be important for food security. Here, using methods from network science, the authors find that a positive relationship between crop diversity and nutritional stability globally does not necessarily equate to improving nutritional stability in a given country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlie C Nicholson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. .,Department of Entomology and Nematology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Benjamin F Emery
- Vermont Complex Systems Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.,Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Meredith T Niles
- Vermont Complex Systems Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.,Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.,Food Systems Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.,Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
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50
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Santoso MV, Bezner Kerr RN, Kassim N, Martin H, Mtinda E, Njau P, Mtei K, Hoddinott J, Young SL. A Nutrition-Sensitive Agroecology Intervention in Rural Tanzania Increases Children's Dietary Diversity and Household Food Security But Does Not Change Child Anthropometry: Results from a Cluster-Randomized Trial. J Nutr 2021; 151:2010-2021. [PMID: 33973009 PMCID: PMC8245885 DOI: 10.1093/jn/nxab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are urgent calls for the transformation of agriculture and food systems to address human and planetary health issues. Nutrition-sensitive agriculture and agroecology promise interconnected solutions to these challenges, but evidence of their impact has been limited. OBJECTIVES In a cluster-randomized trial (NCT02761876), we examined whether a nutrition-sensitive agroecology intervention in rural Tanzania could improve children's dietary diversity. Secondary outcomes were food insecurity and child anthropometry. We also posited that such an intervention would improve sustainable agricultural practices (e.g., agrobiodiversity, intercropping), women's empowerment (e.g., participation in decision making, time use), and women's well-being (e.g., dietary diversity, depression). METHODS Food-insecure smallholder farmers with children aged <1 y from 20 villages in Singida, Tanzania, were invited to participate. Villages were paired and publicly randomized; control villages received the intervention after 2 y. One man and 1 woman "mentor farmer" were elected from each intervention village to lead their peers in agroecological learning on topics including legume intensification, nutrition, and women's empowerment. Impact was estimated using longitudinal difference-in-differences fixed-effects regression analyses. RESULTS A total of 591 households (intervention: n = 296; control: n = 295) were enrolled; 90.0% were retained to study end. After 2 growing seasons, the intervention improved children's dietary diversity score by 0.57 food groups (out of 7; P < 0.01), and the percentage of children achieving minimum dietary diversity (≥4 food groups) increased by 9.9 percentage points during the postharvest season. The intervention significantly reduced household food insecurity but had no significant impact on child anthropometry. The intervention also improved a range of sustainable agriculture, women's empowerment, and women's well-being outcomes. CONCLUSIONS The magnitude of the intervention's impacts was similar to or larger than that of other nutrition-sensitive interventions that provided more substantial inputs but were not agroecologically focused. These data suggest the untapped potential for nutrition-sensitive agroecological approaches to achieve human health while promoting sustainable agricultural practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianne V Santoso
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | | | - Neema Kassim
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Haikael Martin
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
| | | | - Peter Njau
- Singida Rural District Council, Singida, Tanzania
| | - Kelvin Mtei
- Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - John Hoddinott
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
- Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Sera L Young
- Department of Anthropology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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