Contribution of Indigenous fruits and vegetables to dietary diversity and quality

Bruce Cogill, Ph.D. Keynote 45 SYM13 Friday 22 August 2014

OUTLINE

Section 1: Global malnutritionSection 2: Consequences of changing dietSection 3: Reasons for trendsSection 4: Policy and programme actionsSection 5: What is the evidenceSection 6: Five case studiesSection 7: Challenges Section 8: Conclusions

Section 1: Global malnutrition

Changing Diets – 10 major food companies

Source: The Huffington Post, April 2012

Dietary transition

• Changing markets• Refrigeration• Changing consumer

demands• Changing lifestyles• Urbanization

Section 2: Consequences

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Increasing contribution of NCDs to cause of death (Rural Bangladesh 1986-2006)

Source: http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/19/2301

Rising NCDs

Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, some cancers, obesity

Section 3: Reasons for trends

Less choices, more choices

300,000

100,000

30,000

7,000

120

30

3

- Known plant species

- Used by humans

- Edible

- Used as food at local level

- Important at national scale

- Provide 90% of plant calories

- Provide 50% energy supply (rice, wheat, maize)

Section 4: Policy and programme actions

PHOTO

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Dietary guidelines tell us something

• Diversity is key – sustainability is coming

• WHO (2003) ≥ 400 grams of fruits and vegetables per day

• Other examples - Brazil Food Guide- Health Council Netherlands- Swedish National Food Council- Nordic Council- Australia dietary guidelines

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IN

CREASING

COSTS

COMPLEXITY

TOWARDS PREVENTIO

N

CULTURAL R

ELEVA

NCE

RESILIENCE

SUSTAIN

ABILITY

Supple-

ments

Nutrient dense/Therapeutic

Fortification staple foods Oils

Biofortification of staple foods

Food, diet diversity and quality based solutions

Ecos

ystem

Serv

ices

Conse

rvatio

n

Beha

viors

Lifes

tyle

Know

ledge

Le

arning

Agen

da

Treating and preventing under and overnutrition – from pills to improved diet and livelihoods

September 2013 Nutrition Marketing Diversity Programme, Bioversity International

Section 5: What is the evidence?

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Causality – bi-directional biodiversity diet diversity diet quality nutrition/health

Challenges in understanding the linkages, pathways of biodiversity in human nutrition and health (Hough 2014)

Reductionist approach to nutrition with focus on single nutrients and foods (Hoffman 2003 and Burlingame 2004)

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Some challenges to understanding relationships and action (Diverse Diet – Nutrition)

ComplexLack of clear definition of what is meant by biodiversity and diet diversityModelling is challenging with complex pathways and limited or different levels of dataLots of studies associating environmental change and dietary diversity

What is the evidence?

• The value of traditional foods and diets is being re-evaluated worldwide (e.g. the Mediterranean diet)

• All countries have valuable and rich traditional foods

• There is a need to assess the relative nutritional benefits and related health outcomes of these traditional foods and dietary patterns

State of Origin – “Common” Fruits and Vegetables

Source: memolition.com

Key conceptsConcepts Aspects include

Indigenous / traditional / local foods

• Indigenous foods, locally produced usually with traditional systems• Socially and culturally accepted as local food• Eaten by ancestors or introduced for a very long time

Introduced/exotic foods

• Foods consumed now but not consumed by ancestors • Imported• Not socially and culturally accepted as specific local food • Non traditionally processed (industrially processed )• Locally produced foods of recent introduction in the area

Abandoned foods

Foods consumed by ancestors but not consumed now

Ultra Processed Processed ready-to-eat or ready-to-heat food products consumed as snacks or to replace home-prepared dishes

Food diversity Number of different foods/food groups

Sources Monteiro et al (2010) Public Health Nutrition: 14(1); Kuhnlein (2009)

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Comparison of nutrient content of select South Pacific Fruits and Vegetables (per 100 g)

Section 6: Five case studies – on the role of indigenous fruit and vegetables

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Case Study 1: From indigenous food to global commodity – Arugula or Rocket Eruca sativa

• 1994 -1998: Project on underutilized Mediterranean species

• By research and advocacy

• Italian project’s experience evolved over the years into a solid framework now being tested and disseminated to many countries around the world

Source: S. Padulosi, Bioversity International

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Case Study 2: Bananas and beta-carotene

Cavendish Common Variety

<5 µg/100g pro-Vit A carotenoid

<8500 µg/100g pro-Vit A carotenoid

South Pacific banana varieties

Source: Burlingame, FAO (2013) and Bioversity International

Case Study 3: Traditional African leafy vegetables (ALV) in Kenya

• Local ALV - nutritious, affordable, adapted to local growing conditions and cultural traditions

• 2007: Over 40 different species (10% wild) including Amaranth, African nightshade, cowpea, pumpkin, spider plant, bitter lettuce and vine spinach

• Considered to be an inferior good but consumption rising – information lacking

IMPACT

Of those growing ALVs, 52% participated in marketing

2/3 households reported increased incomes, while ½ reported increased consumption

No Diet or Nutrition assessment

(Gotor and Irungu, 2010) Also see ARDC

Case Study 4: Role of wild foods in reducing the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet in Baringo District, Kenya

Bioversity International, Save the Children UK and the Museums of Kenya

Objective: Documenting the role of wild and underutilized foods in reducing the cost of a nutritionally adequate diet for children aged 6 to 24 months and women

Method:• Ethnobotanical surveys to inventory wild species• Market price assessments and seasonality• Culturally acceptable average food consumption frequencies

and portion sizes• Selection of 5 wild neglected and underutlized species

(NUS) for modelling in Cost of Diet analysis• Cost of Diet linear programming to assess the cost of a locally

appropriate, culturally acceptable, cost-optimized, nutritious diet in dry and wet season. Analysis with and without wild NUS foods.

Percentage of nutrient requirements met by the modelled diet without wild foods (only deficient nutrients are shown) and additional percentage of nutrient requirements met by including all 5 wild foods together or the wild fruit Berchemia discolor apart in the modeled diet for the dry and wet season

Case Study 4: Results from Running LP ToolWithout wild foods:

• modelled diets were deficient in Fe for all age groups (women and children) during dry season

• Infants aged 6 to 8 months: Vit. B6 and Ca deficient during dry season, Fe and Zn deficient the whole year

With 5 wild foods: •modelled diet could lower the cost of the diets (up to

64% for some age groups) and contributed to meet FAO/WHO recommended nutrient intakes

•Berchemia discolor had the highest impact on the cost of the diet and on meeting recommended nutrient intakes for Fe•With or without wild foods, it was not possible to meet all

recommended nutrient intakes in all seasons for children aged 6 to 12 months

Balanites aegyptiaca

Berchemia discolor

Ximenia americana

Ziziphus mauritiana

Solanum nigrum

Case Study 5: Orange fleshed sweet potatoes from indigenous staple to global phenomenon

Source: Low et al. 2009; Harvest Plus

Plant breeding, adaptation, behaviour change, consumer

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Section 7: What are the challenges in identifying and promoting indigenous fruits and vegetables to improve dietary quality

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Some Challenges include:

• Confusing nomenclature• Lack of identification, naming and

cataloguing• Propagation and value chains

underdeveloped• Considered an inferior product or good• Need to be commercial, scalable, and

researchable• Quality control, food safety, information

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Questionable nutrition and health claims

• Superfood claims e.g. moringa, kale, açai

• Elevated nutrient and health claims

• Lack of understanding of nutrient content/bioavailability

• Interactions among nutrients and food components

• Food handling, processing and preparation

• Level of intake or dose

Source: www.kulikulifoods.com

Section 8: Conclusions

• We need to climb out of the reductionist hole – Look at Food Systems & Diet Patterns

• A ‘Whole of Diet’ Approach - Foods are more than just the sum of nutrients, agricultural systems more than the sum of crops => whole of diet / landscape approaches are needed

• Optimize use of available biodiversity to provide quality diets, decent incomes and sustainable production systems while conserving biodiversity for future generations

• Better evidence and tools, such as linear programming, to identify nutrient gaps, and optimize the choices of foods across the seasons to close gaps

Concluding observations I

• Local populations have a wealth of knowledge on biodiversity and indigenous fruits and vegetables plus rigorous science

• Evidence of the importance of dietary diversity including fruits and vegetables and dietary quality with links to both over and undernutrition and some diet related NCDs

• Less evidence of links between indigenous fruits and vegetables and dietary quality. This is due to the lack of standard measures, data and the challenges of modelling complex systems. There are plenty of anecdotes and case studies but attribution remains a challenge

• Given public, private sector and even some policy interest in the importance of indigenous fruits and vegetables, especially given diet transition and rising diet related non communicable diseases, there is a strong need to: o generate better evidence of the health and nutrition attributes; o ensure the cultural and non-nutrition aspects are captured and shared;o identify the scalability and accessibility of these foods;o further develop and reach agreement around measurements of biodiversity, diet diversity

and intake;o look for opportunities to monitor policies and programmes that link biodiversity, indigenous

fruits and vegetables and nutrition; and o engage with teaching and other capacity strengthening to improve training and capacity.

Concluding observations II

Indigenous fruits and vegetables -- We need to know more

• Food components appreciated by consumers, manufacturers, etc.

• Diversity, hardy, good adaptability, versatility in use, resilient, sustainable

• Rich food culture and traditions

• Not easily scalable compared with some commodity crops

• Lack of improved/enhanced varieties and practices

• Lack of information on nutrient content, development etc.

• Drudgery in processing

• Disorganized or non-existent market chains

• Perception of being ‘food of the poor’

• Scarcely represented in ex situ collections

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The 29th International Horticultural Congress 17-22 August 2014 Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

Brisbane, Australia

SYMPOSIUM No. 13: Promoting the Future of Indigenous Vegetables Worldwide Plaza Room 9b.cogill@cgiar.orgFor more info:www.bioversityinternational.org