AN BE JIGI II ANNUAL REPORT FOR YEAR 1

Transcription

1 An Bè Jigi II: Enhancing Bioavailability of Iron and Zinc in Varieties of Sorghum and Pearl Millet Consumed in Mali AN BE JIGI II ANNUAL REPORT FOR YEAR 1 November 14, 2011 Report prepared by Mrs. Goita Marthe DIALLO - An Bè Jigi II Project Coordinator Helen Keller International Researchers: Marjon Tuinsma, Country Director, HKI Mali Goita Marthe Diallo, HKI Mali Coulibaly Salimata Sidibé, LTA, IER Fred Rattunde, Principal Researcher, ICRISAT, Mali Vera LUGUTUAH, ICRISAT,Mali. Funded by:

2 ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT NARRATIVE AND APPENDICES I. Overview: (1-2) pages). An Bè Jigi II (Hope for All) is the second phase of a nutrition project funded by The McKnight Foundation and implemented by a consortium consisting of Helen Keller International (HKI), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and the Institut d Economie Rural (IER). The ABJ-II project builds on the achievements of the four years of the first phase, An Bè Jigi I, which ended in August 2010, and seeks to address additional challenges and research questions. Two food consumption surveys conducted during this first phase 1 confirmed the importance of staple cereals (sorghum and millet) in the Malian diet, which provide 69% of total energy intake of children and 75% of the total energy intake of mothers. Cereals provide ±50% of total iron intake, and ±75% of total zinc intake. However, these results showed that iron intake from cereals in Mali are far below international recommendations (See project proposal for details). An Bè Jigi I sought to develop varieties of millet and sorghum that were bio-fortified with iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn), promote the use of health services, and change nutritional and feeding practices. Major achievements during this first phase include: The identification of varieties of millet and sorghum with high Fe and Zn content; The identification of strategies to reduce the loss of these minerals through decortications (husking) for different varieties; Adoption (or testing) of new processing techniques that increase bio-availability; An increase of women practicing exclusive breastfeeding in targeted communities from 20% to 89%; An increase in the use of enriched flour for complementary feeding (after 6 months); The use of local micronutrient-enriched foods, and; Increased knowledge of the project team about current food habits, practices and locally available micronutrient rich foods in the project zones. These results have suggested additional research questions to investigate how to further improve the micronutrient and overall nutritional status of women and children, with an emphasis on the intake and bioavailability of Fe and Zn. Because cereals are the main food crop in the project areas, there are critical issues to address in terms of their nutritional contribution including: Low bioavailability of iron and zinc; Protein in cereals have lower nutritional value than those in animal products, particularly for individuals experiencing critical periods of growth such the target groups of the project; The processing, preparation, and the combination of millet or sorghum with other foods significantly influence the bioavailability of their micronutrient content. The research questions for An Bè Jigi II include: For varieties fortified with iron and zinc: (a) what varieties have greater bio-available iron and zinc content; (b) what nutritional advantage do these varieties provide; (c) what is the relationship between soil fertility and grain nutrient content and bioavailability, and; (d) what pathway(s) are most effective for ensuring producer uptake of fortified varieties? 1 Direct observations of mother and child A study to the nutrient intake of children (6-24 months), and Mothers in Mali, An Be Jigi, June 2007 and August

3 For processing methods to enhance Fe/Zn content and bioavailability: (a) which grain processing and food preparation techniques will consumers accept for whole grain pearl millet flour; (b) which food preparation techniques (recipes) for children can add vitamin C (moringa, tamarind, lime, baobab) to increase Fe/Zn bioavailability from millet and sorghum; (c) what are key obstacles to the consumption of fermented and malted dishes (building on KAP and consumption studies), and how can these obstacles be overcome; and (d) what sources for vitamin A enrichment are locally available? For behavior change regarding food and nutrition: (a) what beliefs underlie food habits (decortications, malting, fermenting and child-feeding practices) that impact nutrition, and do these vary; and (b) which communication methods are more effective for encouraging the adoption and use of new products and transformation methods (high Fe/Zn varieties of millet/sorghum, malted or fermented flour, whole grains, micronutrient-rich local food other than millet/sorghum, new meal combinations, etc.)? The overall goal of the second phase of the AnBeJigi project is to continue the research on techniques to improve the cultivation, processing and consumption of biofortified millet and sorghum, and to promote the more widespread consumption of available varieties with higher micronutrient content. The activities of ABJ-II are implemented in the region of Koulikoro and build on the existing, strong partnerships from ABJ-I. Activities are conducted in six villages in two zones. Three villages (N golobougou, Seribila and Wacoro) are located in the Dioila zone, 160km east of Bamako, and the other three (Bancoumana, Keniero and Siby) are located in the Mandé zone, 60km southwest of Bamako. The project activities include: Agricultural research activities on identifying sorghum and millet varieties with high iron and zinc content. The lead institution for these activities is ICRISAT; Research activities on processing and preparation (cooking) techniques that preserve and enhance iron and zinc bioavailability; these activities are conducted by the IER laboratory of food technology (LTA); Development of communications tools and methods to promote adoption and widespread use of new varieties identified by ICRISAT and new processing and cooking techniques developed by IER. The lead institution for these activities is HKI. HKI coordinates all of the activities and the institutions work in synergy to implement all activities. The three partners collaborate closely with other partners on the ground in order to achieve the project s goals to improve the nutritional status of children under five years of age and women of childbearing age. Other partners include: the staff of the community health centers (CSComs), the women s groups, and the millet and sorghum growers associations (ULPC in Dioila and AOPP in Mandé). This annual report covers the period of December 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011 and includes: Pre-implementation activities; Activities for selection of varieties fortified with iron and zinc; Activities for processing methods to enhance Fe/Zn content and bioavailability; Activities for behavior change regarding food and nutrition. 6

4 A. ACTIVITIES Pre-implementation activities: o Hiring the project coordinator: For the ABJ-II, the partners of the project agreed that HKI should hire a part-time project coordinator with responsibility for coordinating all partners in the implementation of project activities. o Selecting the new villages to add to the project in the Dioila and Mandé zones: During the first phase of the ABJ project, the intervention areas included Dioila, Dioura and Mandé. After the partner organization Agro Action Allemand ended its intervention in Dioura, the project partners agreed to focus solely on Dioila and Mandé for ABJ-II and subsequently selected two new villages, Wakoro in Dioila and Siby in Mandé. o The inception meeting: In alignment with the guidelines of The McKnight Foundation, all project partners convened to review the new proposed project including the objectives, activities, intervention areas, budget allocations, etc. The objective of the inception workshop was to clarify and adjust the expectations of the project as needed to ensure that it is in line with other McKnight-funded agricultural research projects in the Community of Practice (COP), and with the strategies of the regional program. o Collection of baseline data in the new villages The goal of the baseline survey was to obtain socioeconomic data for the identification and characterization of new households that will be included in the project research, and to collect information about their food habits, cropping systems and grains-processing techniques. Specific objectives of the baseline survey were to: 1. Identify determinants of socioeconomic status among the households and how this relates to the nutritional status of children and women; 2. Identify food processing and cooking techniques used in the households. o Development of the project Theory of Change The draft of the Theory of Change was developed in October, and the team is working together to finalize it by the end of November. The protocol of activities will then be completed and sent to The McKnight Foundation support team for review. Activities for processing methods to enhance Fe/Zn content and bioavailability Interviews were conducted in the villages of Banco, Seribila and Keniero to identify constraints involving the use of whole grain fermented and malted foods. We developed recipes and conducted taste tests of fermented and malted foods made from decorticated and whole grain flour. Two recipes with whole grains were developed for gruel in Dèguè. All of the work was conducted in Sotuba at the IER research station. Activities for behavior change regarding food and nutrition Preparatory work has been conducted for the formative research to identify beliefs underlying food habits. A literature review has been conducted on children and women nutrition studies in Mali and Senegal. In addition, we have held two information sessions with a senior Bambara language instructor from the Peace Corps Language Training Program and have conducted field observations confirming the literature findings. The key findings suggest essential topics that should be addressed in the research questions of the behavior change component (see Table 2 under Results). 7

5 Activities for selection of varieties fortified with iron and zinc: activities for monitoring and studying sorghum varieties Table 1: Summary of activities on varietal testing (activities for objective 1: to improve sorghum and pearl millet varieties and management practices) Grain Type of trial samples from year 2009 On-farm 3 Variety Trial 2010 On-station Micronutrient trial 2010 On-farm Participatory Variety Trial (Short) 2010 On-farm Participatory Farmers involved 19 women: 14 in Mandé & 5 in Dioila On-station (Samanko) 12 men, 2 per village, 3 villages in Mandé & 3 in Dioila 12 men: 2 per village, 3 Treatment and Varietiesª - With and without zinc fertilization (2g/m2 of zinc sulphate applied 1-7 weeks after sowing) - 4 test varieties. Each farmer tested 2 test varieties and 1 local - High soil P (100kg/ha of DAP* + 50kg/ha of Urea) - Low soil P (39kg/ha & 50kg/ha of Urea) - 70 varieties - Fertilization with DAP (100 kg/ha) - 16 varieties including 8 hybrids - Fertilization with DAP (100 kg/ha) Status - Grain samples available from 9 farmers were decorticated and analyzed for Fe, Zn, phytate contents. - Soil samples from these farms have also been analyzed for ph, organic matter, P and P availability (Bray P). - Data has been analyzed and results are presented in this report. - Grain samples have been sent for Fe, Zn and P analysis to University of Hohenheim. - Awaiting lab results. - Grain samples from all farmers have been analyzed for Fe and Zn content (X-Ray Fluorescence, ICRISAT-India) and 100-grain weight determined. - Grain samples from all farmers have been sent for XRF Fe and Zn analysis. 8

6 Variety Trial (Tall) 2010 On-farm Adaptation to Low-P Trial 2011 On-farm 3 Variety Trial 2011 On-farm Adaptation Trial villages in Mandé and 3 in Dioila 24 men: 12 each in Mandé and Dioila 80 women: 53 in Mandé and 27 in Dioila 12 men: 8 in Dioila and 4 in Mandé - 16 varieties including 7 hybrids With and without P fertilization (100 kg of DAP/ha +Urea) - 8 varieties - DAP + Urea versus habitual agronomic practice - Ash versus habitual agronomic practice - 3 varieties (2 test and 1 local) - DAP (100 kg/ha) and Urea (50kg/ha) + 20cm distance between plants - DAP (100 kg/ha) and Urea (50kg/ha) + habitual farmer practice - No fertilization + 20cm distance between plants - No fertilization + habitual farmer practice - 4 varieties - Awaiting lab results. - Grain samples from 11 farms (5 in Mandé, 6 in Dioila) in which grain yield was responsive to P fertilization have been sent for Fe and Zn analysis. - Awaiting lab results. - Trials are currently ongoing and will be harvested in November-December Grain samples will be analyzed for Fe, Zn and phytate contents and the effect of fertilization on the Fe and Zn contents and bioavailability will be determined. - Trials are currently ongoing and will be harvested in November-December Grain samples will be analyzed for Fe, Zn and phytate contents, and the effect of fertilization and plant density on the Fe and Zn contents and bioavailability will be determined. ª: All trials were conducted with sorghum *DAP: Di-ammonium phosphate 9

7 B. RESULTS PRE-IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES: A part-time Project Coordinator was hired. Goita Marthe Diallo, PhD, joined the project team on April 26, Three new villages were selected and added to project in May In addition to Wacoro in Dioila and Siby in Mandé, N golobougou in Dioila has been added to replace Banco (from ABJ-I), which is experiencing internal challenges with its farmers' association. The villages were selected based on the following criteria: the presence of women's groups or associations working with research or other development organizations, the existence of a health center, a local market, convenient access, and the willingness of the target group(s) to participate in a research project such as ABJ-II. In August 2011, a baseline survey was conducted in the three new villages. The data are being analyzed and the results will be available in December The inception meeting to introduce the project to the target communities was held in Dioila in June All of the project partners, including the local administrative authorities and NGOs working in the same communities as ABJ-II, participated in the meeting. The local partners (farmers organizations and women's groups) appreciated being included. The key recommendations included: 1. Continue the training in processing soybeans into soybean milk and soumbala, a local sauce condiment; 2. Work together to create a detailed work plan to ensure that all of the project partners are aware of what will be done, when, where and by whom during the project's lifetime; 3. Hold regular, documented meetings and distribute the meeting notes to the partners to keep everyone informed; 4. Facilitate widespread distribution of information related to the project's activities; 5. Establish and maintain transparency involving project management and budget allocations. The draft of the Theory of Change (ToC) was developed in October, and the team will work together to finalize it by the end of November. The protocol of the research activities will then be completed and send to The McKnight Foundation support team for review. Elements of the ToC draft include: Project vision: Micronutrient deficiency in populations dependent on sorghum and millet can be reduced with scientific interventions (plant breeding and behavioral change). Research hypothesis: Micronutrient nutrition could be enhanced by changes in: Methods of selection, production and field management of staple cereal varieties Practices for grain processing and food preparation Behavior change communications and training to promote improved food production/processing/preparation and consumption 10

8 Expected output: Varieties with superior Fe/Zn content Methods for identifying varieties with superior Fe/Zn content (inclusion of selection for nutritional quality in participatory breeding activities) Soil- and crop-management practices/factors that enhance Fe/Zn nutritional value of sorghum and millet Methods to reduce loss of Fe/Zn content of sorghum and millet through decortication methods o Methods of flour production from whole grain o Methods for effective education/training in new processing techniques Methods to increase bioavailability of Fe/Zn of sorghum/millet o Fermentation/methods for grain soaking over 6, 12 and/or 24 hours, etc. Food preparation methods to increase Fe/Zn content or bioavailability o Recipes using whole grain o Additional ingredients and methods of preparation (addition of vitamin C, malt, okra seeds, etc.) Methods of dissemination of information and food products via community health centers (CSCom), radio, women's groups, local NGOs, etc. Strategies: Employing a holistic approach, from soil and seed to plate (prepared food) Using a participatory approach for all partners and beneficiaries Using an intersectoral approach joining agronomy, nutrition and food technology Establishing partnerships with farmers and caretakers, the end users of seeds and food products Advancing understanding of major factors determining Fe/Zn nutritive of vulnerable groups consuming diets comprised largely of staple grains Drawing from a foundation of knowledge and experience to identify methods and materials than can/will enhance Fe/Zn nutrition Developing training and communications materials to promote adoption of improved products and practices for distribution via radio, women's groups, CSCom, etc. Resources: Staff Materials Funds ACTIVITIES FOR SELECTION OF VARIETIES FORTIFIED WITH IRON AND ZINC / VARIETY AND FIELD MANAGEMENT OPTIONS FOR ENHANCED IRON AND ZINC STATUS: Specific objectives for results of grain and soil testing in : i. To assess the effect of soil zinc fertilization on the iron, zinc, phytate contents and on iron and zinc bioavailability 2,3 of sorghum varieties tested under low soil fertility conditions. 2 Iron bioavailability was estimated by [phytate:fe] molar ratio. Molar ratio > 1 indicates low iron bioavailability 3 Zinc bioavailability was estimated by [phytate:zn] molar ratio. Molar ratio > 15 indicates low zinc bioavailability 11

9 ii. To compare the Fe, Zn phytate contents, Fe and Zn bioavailability and grain traits of the varieties tested by women farmers. iii. To determine the relationship between soil parameters and iron and zinc contents of sorghum varieties tested under low soil fertility conditions. iv. To determine the relationship between grain traits and iron and zinc contents of sorghum varieties tested under low soil fertility conditions. The Three Variety Trial was conducted by women farmers in the Dioila and Mandé zones (see Table 1 for the methodology). Soil samples from these farms were analyzed for ph, soil P, available soil phosphorus (using the Bray P1 test) and organic matter content. Means by zones for soil parameters are presented in Table 2. Generally, the women s fields had very low soil-p available to plants as the threshold for sorghum sufficiency is approximately Bray P1 of 10ppm (M. Doumbia). In addition, grain samples available from the nine women s trials were decorticated and analyzed for their Fe, Zn and phytate contents. Table 2: Soil fertility parameters of women s farms in the Dioila (n=4) and Mandé (n=5) zones (Mean ± SD). Zone Soil P (ppm) Bray P1* (ppm) Organic matter (%) ph Dioila ± ± ± ± 0.1 Mandé ± ± ± ± 0.1 *Bray P1: soil P available to the plant i. Effect of Zn fertilization on grain Fe, Zn, phytate contents and Fe and Zn bioavailability Soil zinc fertilization did not affect the grain zinc content (p= 0.52), iron content (p= 0.77) and phytate-p content (p= 0.77) compared to the control plot of the same varieties. Zn fertilization also did not affect the [phytate:fe] molar ratio (p = 0.29) and [phytate:zn] molar ratio (p = 0.43). (from nine women s trials in 2009). ii. Varietal means for Fe, Zn, phytate contents, Fe and Zn bioavailability and grain traits Varietal means for Fe, Zn, phytate-p, Fe and Zn bioavailability (estimated using molar ratios), from 9 women s trials, each with three varieties (two test and a local), were estimated using the ICP-AES method from unbalanced data (Table 3.) Table 3: Means of Fe, Zn and phytate-p of 10 sorghum varieties tested by nine women farmers in the Dioila and Mandé zones and their Fe and Zn bioavailability (2009). Variety Fe (ppm) Zn (ppm) Phytate-P (ppm) Molar Ratio 1 [phytate:fe] Molar Ratio 2 [phytate:zn] Aligeri Baki-Baki Kitaka Local Nionifing Niogome Nionifing* Seguetana* Tieble* Trukani

10 Yalama* St error of diff *: Test varieties. The rest are local/check varieties The contrast between all test varieties and local varieties for Fe content (p = 0.43); Zn (p = 0.1); phytate-p (p =0.88); [phytate:fe] molar ratio (p = 0.67); and [phytate:zn] molar ratio (p = 0.32) were non-significant as shown in Table 4. Table 4: Means of test and local varieties for nutrient content and bioavailability over 9 women s trials with unbalanced structure (2009). Variety Fe (ppm) Zn (ppm) Phytate-P (ppm) Molar Ratio [phytate:fe] Molar Ratio [phytate:zn] Test varieties Local varieties Standard error Table 5: Means for grain traits (decortication yield, 100-grain weight, and vitrosity) of 10 sorghum varieties tested by 9 women farmers in the Dioila and Mandé zones. Variety Decortication yield (%) 100-grain (g) Vitrosity Aligeri Baki-Baki Kitaka Local Nionifing Niogome Nionifing* Seguetana* Tieble* Trukani Yalama* Standard error *: Test varieties. The rest are local varieties a : 100-grain weight is the weight of a hundred grains The analysis showed that there were significant differences in term of iron, zinc and phytate contents and the molar ratios of phytate:fe and phytate: Zn among sorghum varieties tested and among sorghum samples from farmers who conducted the trials as shown in Table 6. There were also significant variety and farmer interactions for Fe, phytate, and molar ratios phytate:fe and phytate:zn Table 6: Analysis of variance to determine varietal and farmer differences and their interactions for grain Fe, Zn and phytate-p, and the Fe and Zn bioavailability. Variable Fe Zn Phytate-P Molar Ratio [phytate:fe] Molar Ratio [phytate:zn] Variety <0.001 <0.001 < <0.001 Farmer <0.001 <0.001 <0.001 < Variety*Farmer F-probability (p-value) from regression analysis 13

11 iii. Relationship between soil parameters and grain iron and zinc contents The significant differences between farmers for grain Fe content were partly explained by differences in soil organic matter and ph. In contrast, the differences in grain Zn content observed between famers were completely explained by differences in soil P, ph, organic matter and Bray P1 (in order of importance). Table 7: Regression of soil parameters on grain Fe and Zn values to predict farmer field differences (9 women s trials, 2009). Soil parameters P-value* of Grain Fe P-value* of Grain Zn Soil phosphorus availability (BrayP1) Soil phosphorus <0.001 ph Soil organic matter < Farmer *: P-value or F-probability of regression analysis iv. Relationship between grain iron and zinc contents The varietal differences observed for Fe content were not explained by any of the grain traits assessed. However, the varietal differences observed for Zn content were partly explained by the 100-grain weight. Table 8: Grain traits to explain varietal differences in grain iron and zinc contents. Grain factors P-value* of Grain Fe P-value* of Grain Zn 100-grain weight Decortication yield Vitrosity Variety *: P-value or F-probability of regression analysis ACTIVITIES FOR PROCESSING METHODS TO ENHANCE FE/ZN CONTENT AND BIOAVAILABILITY: Data for the survey are being analyzed, but we currently are aware of the following challenges involving the use of whole grain recipes: The processing of whole grain (procuring flour) requires pounding that is physically very demanding on women. It takes a long time to process. The use of whole grain in a family's diet is a sign of extreme poverty in rural areas, which creates a significant cultural deterrent. Additionally, though informal discussions with older women in the community, we learned that whole grain couscous (semolina made with sorghum or millet) "tastes better" than decorticated grain and requires less cooking oil compared to decorticated grain couscous. For the dishes we developed, the nutritional values are not determined yet, and they have been tested on-station only. We will continue this research and present the results in a subsequent report. 14

12 ACTIVITIES FOR BEHAVIOR CHANGE REGARDING FOOD AND NUTRITION: The key findings of the preparatory study suggest the following topics to be addressed in further research. Table 2 outlines key topics. Mother's lack of power to decide in matters pertaining to child nutrition - Head of extended family (male) decides for the family. Many women have no disposable income. The caretaker's passive attitude toward breast feeding, infant feeding and supplementary feeding "The child knows when it wants to eat and how much." Mother's lack of time and not enough of a support system to give attention to small children - Younger mothers being influenced by urbanization and westernization (i.e. disposable income is spent mostly on her needs such as buying clothes) Although men are the key decision-makers in the family, they are seldom targeted for nutrition-related interventions. Beliefs and taboos related to food and nutrition throughout a woman's/child's life cycle. Detailed research findings are in the final report and will be used to develop questionnaires, see Annex 1. C. INSIGHTS AND LESSONS LEARNED Based on the first year of project activities for ABJ-II, we have learned the following: Zinc fertilization did not increase grain iron and zinc contents and did not reduce phytate content, thereby having no effect on the iron and zinc bioavailability. There were significant differences in Fe, Zn and phytate contents and Fe and Zn bioavailability for the different varieties; however, there were no significant differences when the varieties were grouped into improved varieties and local varieties The project needs to have larger sample sizes to assess the effect of fertilization on grain Fe, Zn and phytate contents and Fe and Zn bioavailability. Soil organic matter and ph appear to be important variables for grain Fe, while soil P, ph, organic matter and Bray P1 appear to be important variables for grain Zn content. Soil organic matter and ph could not completely explain the farmer differences observed, so more soil parameters need to be analyzed. The 100-grain weight could be an important parameter in explaining differences in varietal Zn content. However, none of the grain traits assessed could explain differences in varietal Fe content. Methods for producing whole grain flour that are feasible and acceptable need to be developed. In addition: Having the local partners participate in the inception meeting was beneficial to engaging them with the project and fostering a sense of ownership on their part. 15

13 Regular information sharing and continued, proactive collaboration among the project members is needed to ensure the effectiveness of our efforts toward improving the micronutrient content and bioavailability in staple cereals, from seed to plate. The project partners will continue to focus our research activities on development of good research protocols with clear research questions and hypotheses. The project partners gained understanding of major factors determining Fe/Zn bioavailability for children and women (for example, the effect of phytate on bioavailability). 16