Carol J. Henry, PhD

Carol J. Henry, PhD October 9, 2013

Sixth McGill Conference on Global Food Security

Food Security Situation in Ethiopia • Agriculture is the principal source of revenue – more

than 80 % of population rely on agriculture for life • To address food security- increase in household

income is the key indicator, has not been shown soly to reduce malnutrition

• Poor dietary practices leads to various nutrition related diseases and malnutrition

• Relationship between mom’s nutrition and child intake critical if we want to achieve MDG goals

• Government initiatives & others aiming to achieve MDG

Nutrition Situation in Ethiopia Micronutrient deficiency, also known as “hidden hunger,” is a major public health problem in most developing countries

Iron deficiency 50.1% of reproductive age group women (Haider , 2010)

Zinc deficiency Pocket studies

53% of pregnant women (Gebremedihin et al., 2011) 72% of pregnant women in third trimester (Abebe

et al., 2008)

National level stunting (<-2 HAZ) - 44% children under five years (CSA, 2011)

Poor wat/san & inadequate health

services

Child malnutrition,death and disability

Inadequatematernal & child-care practices

Insufficient accessto food

Quantity & quality of actualresources - human, economic,

organizational - and theway they are controlled

Potential resources: environment, technology,

people

Inadequate dietary intake

Disease

Poor wat/san & inadequate health

services

Child malnutrition,death and disability

Inadequatematernal & child-care practices

Insufficient accessto food

Quantity & quality of actualresources - human, economic,

organizational - and theway they are controlled

Potential resources: environment, technology,

people

Inadequate dietary intake

Disease

Modified Causes of Malnutrition (UNICEF, 1990)

Immediate causes

Underlying

Causes

Basic causes

Anti-nutrient

Environmental conditions Eg. Soil

Bioavailable nutrient

Access to Plant based diets/staples

Proportion of nutrient in a food that is absorbed and utilized by the body (Hurrel, 2002).

Legumes Leguminous crops play an important role in the diet

of low income people Majority of population is engaged in agriculture

Cheap source of nutrient

Mature in short period

Main food in short growing seasons and poor annual harvest area

Moderate drought resistant

Food and nutrition security

Crop rotation

Intercropping

Nitrogen fixation

Soil health

Legumes cont…

* http://www.eap.gov.et/?q=node/770 ** CSA, 2008

•“Poor man’s meat”

– Protein source •Good source of mineral

– However, they also contain anti-nutrients Map source: Alemu et al., 2009

contribution * Consumption**

Faba bean 36% 64

Haricot bean 17% 72%

Chickpea 16% 75%

Targets • 5-sites –Southern Ethiopia (Damot Gale, Halaba,

Meskan, Sodo, Ziway) • Target beneficiaries –moms, farmers, children under 5

P r o j e c t D e s I g n

Agro-Systems approach: From Field to Fork

Soil quality and management

Crop diversification Genetic diversity Bio availability

Food Processing

Bioavailability

Human health & Nutrition

Household food & Nutrition security [Increased production of the new pulse crops,

consumptionimproved intake of macro 7 micro nutrients]

System wide analytical tools

-Value-chain analysis

-Gender analysis

-Monitoring & evaluation

Stakeholders

Bureau of Agriculture, Bureau

of health, NGO’s,

Linking soil & Plant nutrition

Gender stratification Socio-economics

Environment

Reducing the burden of fertilizer & chemicals

Environmental quality; soil quality, biological nitrogen fixation, reduced land degradation

Project objectives Improve nutrition, health of rural Ethiopians, esp. children

& females, Using a whole food strategy - combined approach of

breeding staple pulses crops rich in micronutrients - biofortification

• Biotifortification strategy- bring full potential of agricultural (soil, plant science, food processing, value chain) to address malnutrition

• Address four pillars of FS - Availability –soil health, plant breeding> activities that lead

to better production – Access: purchasing, value chain, market – Utilization: consumption, diet diversity, household food

processing, nutrition education & care – Governance: policies, legal framework

Nutrition Interventions Undertake activities to promote the adoption and dissemination of the

varieties of chickpeas, haricot and other beans grown during the trial period Nutrition education & training Product development; recipe development (complimentary food)

Measure the nutritional and other impacts of these nutritionally improved varieties in communities and households

Caloric intake of children (under 3), reproductive age women relative to recommended allowance

Dietary diversity scores for these same groups Weight-for-age or height-for-age for young children (WHO

standards) Micronutrient intake – vitamin A, zinc, iron

Nutrition Pathway

* Broken arrows

Participation in agricultural -

nutrition intervention

Gender sensitive agriculture

interventions

Agricultural practice (plant breeding , bio - fortification

improved seed & soil fertility)

Increased production of pulse, incl . , nutrient rich pulse crops

Increased household income through sales of

pulses as cash crops

(market & consumer studies, value chain)

Nutrition education Improved food processing technologies & preparation , consumption

More pulse, improved diet

quality & diversity of households,

especially women &children

Improvement nutri tio nal sta t us and health of

communities, especially of reproductive age women and young

children

Enterpri s e processing pulse food e . g . complementary foods

Behaviour change outcome

Key Approaches • Student-faculty- led research & extension in study sites

• Several piloted studies on production, processing, nutrition • Carried out jointly by HwU & UofS- faculty, staff, graduate

students • Joint PhD in Agriculture-initially • UofS-PhD nutrition; Applied MSc-HwU

– Participatory -Community engagement approach (e.g. farmers training/field days)

• Collaboration with research & development partners [public-private partnership)

• Fostering local - to be able to see what works • Increasing links to agriculture-nutrition-health

Examples of Projects Agr- Response of haricot bean varieties in application

of different levels of Zn & Fe in selected areas of Ethiopia

Performance of chickpea varieties after maize and haricot bean at Halaba district, SNNPRS

Production efficiency of staggered sowing of three common bean cultivars intercropped at different populations with maize at Taba & Halaba

Examples contd. Pulse value chain analysis in selected Woredas of

Southern Ethiopia: Potential and constraints for livelihood improvement and export development [fac/Res)

Food processing methodologies, implication for improved micronutrient intake; sensory analysis & consumer acceptability studies

Effect of post harvest practices Nutrition intervention, farmers training; intervention

effect (KAB)- improvement of diet (product development)

Nutrition education tool Conversation Map

Gender Analysis Framework

What have we learned? • We have learned a lot from our baseline & other

studies – Practicing double cropping and crop rotation for

increased production and higher nutrition – Integrating nutrition education & training, along side

production of pulses to improve dietary diversity, nutrition security

– Market can be used as a driver for nutrition security (through its income, crop choice and diet diversity effect)

Next Steps Evaluate outcomes of current nutrition

interventions and scale up positive outcomes Select household-based food processing method

yielding better bioavailable nutrients Improve the positive effect of market on nutrition

while mitigating its effect on nutrient depletion Engage farmers in discussions about cooperatives for

improve bargaining power to get high share in price for their commodities

Thank You: CIFSRF TEAM (agriculture, nutrition, food science,

gender, marketing/value chain, sociology) University of Saskatchewan & Hawassa University Regional Agriculture and Health Bureaus NGOs Graduate students Farmers & farming households Funders –IDRC/CIDA (Foreign Affairs)