12 patrick-van-damme-forests-trees-for-sustainable-diets-tree-diversity-day-2014-cop12

Forests and trees on farm for sustainable diets

prof. dr. ir. Patrick Van [email protected]

www.tropicallab.ugent.beGhent University, Belgium and

University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic

(with inputs from the global forest expert panel)

CoP 12 - Pyeongchang 10 October 2014

http://www.tropicallab.ugent.be/

http://www.google.be/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&docid=EY3uyZHC32aw4M&tbnid=V70fjTJP7MOXvM:&ved=0CAgQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.lifebeyondtourism.org%2Fpuntointeresse%2F1294%2FCzech-University-of-Life-Sciences-in-Prague&ei=4GY2VNaeE5a78gXFr4DIDQ&psig=AFQjCNG7T2pxTtQiBa299uka3kjdoo-cGQ&ust=1412937824390002

• Introduction and problem statement

• The role of biodiversity c.q. trees/shrubs

• The Congo case– Ethnobotany – documentation of WEPs

• Methodology• Results and discussion

– WEP contributions to local diets• Methodology• Results and discussion

• General conclusions

• Recommendations and future research

Content


Introduction and problem statement

• 2010: 925 million people estimated to be undernourished• 30% undernourished in Africa• ‘hidden hunger’ = micronutrient deficiencies: 2 billion people

• only 30 species provide 95% of energy and protein needs in the world• 30,000 of the 250,000 – 270,000 plants formally described have been

collected or cultivated by humans for food• many of them remain underutilized, although they may have excellent

nutritional characteristics




• Convention on Biological Diversity (1992) stresses the importance of agricultural biodiversity for food security and natural resource conservation; ‘Conservation through use’ principle

• evidence is still circumstantial, but: many authors argue that it is compelling to assume that increased agricultural and forest biological diversity leads to a more varied diet, which in turn improves specific health outcomes

• But: it still remains unclear how (much) biodiversity actually contributes to the nutrition and livelihoods of the poor (see review Peñafiel et al. (2011), infra)



poor nutrition in various forms occurs in all countries around the world

malnutrition can result from a lack or excess of certain nutrients, or nutrients in the wrong proportions



– acute malnutrition (wasting or thinness)– chronic malnutrition (stunting or short stature)– micronutrient malnutrition; and – overweight and obesity are all pressing public

health issues, often co-existing in the same populations

7CoP 12 - Pyeongchang 10 October 2014


underlying causes of malnutrition, i.e.:– lack of access to sufficient, high-quality, safe and

acceptable food ;– deficient health environment; and– inadequate childcare practices

continue to lead to high rates of (child) malnutrition, morbidity and mortality


The role of biodiversity c.q. trees/shrubs

hypothesis/rationale: biodiversity at three levels—ecosystems, the species they contain and the genetic diversity within species—can contribute to food security and improved nutrition (Toledo & Burlingame, 2006)

we stress the need for/potential of trees/shrubs, as they can have multiple roles in the landscape, production system, livelihoods…




World Production (2012)

0 50,000,000 100,000,000 150,000,000 200,000,000 250,000,000 300,000,000

Oil, palm fruit

Apples

Mangoes, mangosteens, guavas

Fruit, citrus nes

Rubber, natural

Coffee, green

Grapefruit (inc. pomelos)

Cocoa, beans

Avocados

Cashew nuts, with shell

Tree crop

Val

ue

(Met

ric

tons

)



Agroecology in practice

Coffee and cocoa agroforestry systems

Coffee agroforestry system in Costa Rica


The role of biodiversity - assumptions• wild (plant/animal) species and intraspecies biodiversity have key roles in

global food security• different varieties/ecotypes/accessions/... have (statistically) different

nutrient contents• acquiring nutrient data on existing biodiversity is a prerequisite for

development of new crops/speculations• formal nutrient content data need to be among criteria in cultivar

development/promotion• nutrient data for wild foods and cultivars need to be systematically

generated, centrally compiled and widely disseminated• biodiversity questions and/or prompts need to be included in food

consumption surveys• acquiring nutrient and intake data for varieties/(eco/pheno)types/... is

essential in order to understand the impact of biodiversity on food security



The role of biodiversity (Penafiel et al.)in general, locally available foods were found to be important sources of

energy, micronutrients, and dietary diversification in the diet of rural and forest communities living in highly biodiverse ecosystems

current evidence shows local food biodiversity as an important contributor to nutritious diets

findings are, however, limited to populations living in highly biodiverse areas

research on the contribution of biodiversity to diets of industrialized and urban settings needs more attention

more studies/instruments are needed that would measure the dietary

contribution of local biodiversity


The role of biodiversity

although underutilized crops have traditionally been used for and are still known as sources of food, fibre, fodder, oil and medicine

their potential contribution to food security, nutrition, health, income generation, and ecosystem services for the well-being of mankind is still largely under-documented and under-exploited


The role of biodiversity

also, based on our own field research, it is our contention that...use of underutilised species is indeed/still under-

documentedand/but

actual use is probably over-rated and might be under pressure from westernised food habits


Example: Kisangani area (DRC) - ethnobotany

• preference ranking exercises for wild fruits and wild vegetables with separate gender groups– taste– economic value– nutritional value– socio-cultural value

• identification of plants in Herbarium of National Botanical garden of Brussels (BR); duplicates are deposited in UNIKIS


results and discussion…• 166 WEPs (165 species and 2 varieties) within 71 families for the Turumbu, Mbole and Bali together

• Apocynaceae : 12 species, Malvaceae (10 species), Rubiaceae (8 species), Zingiberaceae and Dioscoreaceae (each 6 species)

•72 species for the first time cited as edible for the region

•85 WEPs in Turumbu, Liengola (2001) 58, but 14 not in our study

•Mbole and Bali never studied before

‘Lopha’ ‘bakale’ Panda oleosa

‘Ketchu’ ‘Mbikondi’ Piper guineense


Plant parts used Number of plants

fruits 68

seeds 20

leaves 53

tubers 10

trunk, stem & stem sap 15

bark 11

leaf buds 2

young sprouts 2

flowers 5

roots 7

immature fronds (ferns) 1

whole plant 1

palm heart 2

fruit shell 1

TOTAL 198

Specific use Number of plants

fruit 67

leafy vegetables 40

condiment 25

tea substitute 24

nut 18

starch 11

other vegetables 10

strenghtener 15

water substitute 7

indigenous vinegar 6

palm wine 3

oil 2

TOTAL 228


Yalungu54 species

Yasekwe63 species

Yaoseko77 species

4 31

452 14

16

35

Turumbu85 species

Mbole99 species

Bali86 species

23 1839

359 7

Bafwabula59 species

Bavoy71 species

Bafwambalu63 species

6 215

483

6

6

Yaleko 68 species

Olife58 species

Lefundelo62 species

14 1310

3110 4

17Turumbu Mbole

Bali


• study area: – 6 municipalities in Kisangani city– Yaoseko: rural Turumbu village (34 km west to Kisangani)

• sample:– 241 adult women in Kisangani city, all ethnicities mixed (40 per

municipality, 41 in Lubunga)– 129 Turumbu women in Yaoseko village– 122 Turumbu women in Kisangani city

• period of highest WEP availability (July-October)• two multiple-pass 24h recalls with women• some socio-economic characteristics• food composition table (proxies…)• lucille food analysis software – usual intakes via MSM

WEPs in nutrition - methodology


• diet mainly based on cassava tubers (71.8%; 79.9% and 98.8% of recalls in Kisangani, Turumbu city and Turumbu village samples resp.)

• in the city also some rice (62.6%; 45.9% and 5.1% of recalls)

• combined with cassava leaves (54.6%; 54.5% and 62.5% of recalls)

• caterpillars (19.5%; 31.5% and 23.1% of recalls)

WEPs in nutrition – results and discussion


• only 15 WEPs figured in a marginal number of recalls– 1 wild yam– 2 wild nuts– 4 wild leafy vegetables– 3 wild fruits– 5 wild spices

• safou, a native, underutilized fruit species was mentioned most frequently, but still... (in only 4.0%; 6.4% and 30.1% of recalls)



Food group Kisangani city Turumbu city Turumbu village P2

Energy (kcal) 3 % total energy 4



Cereals 539.9 ± 210.9 a 25.0 355.2 ± 177.5b 19.7 39.3 ± 81.6 c 2.1 0Roots and tubers 383.4 ± 192.6 a 17.5 401.6 ± 168.5 a 22.3 847.7 ± 345 b 45.4 0

Wild yam - -Nuts & pulses 170.5 ± 111.8 a 7.8 139.5 ± 164.7 a 7.7 19.1 ± 70.9 b 1.0 0

Wild nuts - - -Vegetables 61.2 ± 23.5 a,b 2.8 57.6 ± 25.4 a 3.1 62 ± 24.8 b 3.3 0.055 Wild vegetables - - 2.2 ± 7.5 0.1

Fruits 39.8 ± 61.9 a 1.8 30 ± 49.5 a 1.7 95.8 ± 94.1 b 5.1 0.001

Wild fruits - - 9 ± 40.7 0.5 Safou 12.1 ± 51 a 0.6 11.7 ± 36.7 a 0.6 89.6 ± 107.2 b 4.8 0Meat/Poultry/Offal 58.5 ± 93.6 a 2.7 32 ± 82.7 b 1.8 27.9 ± 33.7 b 1.5 0.0004

Bush meat fresh - - 5.7 ± 27.6 0.3 Smoked bush meat 17.7 ± 50.3 0.8 9.9. ± 26.2 0.6 19.9 ± 26 1.0 0.11

Fish and fish products 41.8 ± 35 a 1.9 30.7 ± 34.9 b 1.7 21 ± 23.2 c 1.1 <0.001Eggs - - -Milk/milk products 16.4 ± 40.1 a 0.8 11.6 ± 38.7 a 0.6 0.5 ± 3.8 b 0.0001

Oils and Fats 719.6 ± 196.1 a 33.0 623.8 ± 261.2 b 34.6 663.4 ± 236.4 a,b 35.5 0.0004

Sugars 101.9 ± 89.8 a 4.7 56.4 ± 72.7 b 3.1 29.4 ± 35.3 c 1.6 0Miscellaneous 18.7 ± 30.6 0.9 16.9 ± 53.2 0.9 31.7 ± 84.4 1.7 0.054

Wild spices 0.2 ± 1.7 <0.1% - 0.4 ± 2.4 <0.1%Mushrooms 0.4 ± 1.9 a <0.1% 0.6 ± 2.8 a,b <0.1% 1.4 ± 3.7 b 0.1 0.0034Caterpillars 13.5 ± 27.5 0.6 16.2 ± 19.1 0.9 14.9 ± 23.6 0.8 0.59CoP 12 - Pyeongchang 10 October 2014

Nutrient Kisangani (n=182)

% womenunder RDA²

Turumbu city (n=108)

% womenunder RDA²

Turumbu Yaoseko(n=80)

% womenunder RDA²

P³

Weight (g) 1039.64 ± 275.14 a 872.35 ± 271.83 b 1062.88 ± 354.48 a <0.001

Energy (kcal) 2102 ± 444.19a 1715.08 ± 599.57 b 1779.37 ± 564.85 b <0.001

Energy density (kcal/100g)

205.47 ± 23.0 a 196.13 ± 26.21 b 169.34 ± 21.9 c <0.001

Energy from protein (%) 9.24 ± 2.13 a 9.36 ± 2.1 a 7.56 ± 1.98 b <0.001

Energy from lipids (%) 44.78 ± 5.42 46.19 ± 6.4 44.18 ± 8.06 0.0686

Total carbohydrate (g) 4 260.79 ± 64.1 a 211.71 ± 64.82 a 241.62 ± 94.55 b <0.001

Fibre (g) 4 22.48 ± 8.73 17.59 ± 8.76 18.81 ± 7.56 0.4021

Vitamin A (µg RE) 4 4240.06 ± 898.37 a 0 3886.47 ± 764.4 b 0 4301.83 ± 768.44 b 0 <0.001

Vitamin C (mg) 4 89.39 ± 23.46 a 3.85 86.17 ± 29.34 b 5.56 165.61 ± 74.22 c 0 <0.001

Thiamine (mg) 4 1.03 ± 0.27 a 63.19 0.95 ± 0.36 b 72.2 1.07 ± 0.41 c 61.25 <0.001

Riboflavin (mg) 4 2.07 ± 0.73 a 3.85 2.55 ± 1.88 b 7.41 2.52 ± 2.02 b 13.75 <0.001

Niacin (mg) 4 9.12 ± 2.87 a 93.4 8.08 ± 3 b 96.3 7.44 ± 2.76 a 97.5 <0.001

Vitamin B-6 (mg) 4 1.73 ± 0.51a 24.18 1.55 ± 0.43 b 31.48 2.40 ± 1.1 c 21.25 <0.001

Folate (µg) 4 219.18 ± 58.84 a 100 202.9 ± 65.88 b 100 238.08 ± 86.34 c 93.75 <0.001

Vitamin B-12 (µg) 4 1.44 ± 0.58 a 93.4 1.28 ± 1.49 a 87.03 0.6 ± 0.57 b 97.5 <0.001

Calcium (mg) 4 406.23 ± 104.98 a 100 384.87 ± 138.13 b 99.07 541.91 ± 245.64 c 95 <0.001

Iron (mg) 4 11.89 ± 3.67 a,b 100 8.93 ± 2.89 a 100 10.42 ± 4.22 b 100 0.0154

Zinc (mg) 4 6.46 ± 2.1 a 91.8 5.04 ± 1.8 a 99.07 3.89 ± 1.9 b 97.5 <0.001


• huge gap between knowledge and effective use of WEPs

• WEPs are insufficiently consumed to contribute to nutrition security

• urban nor rural people valorize their knowledge on WEPs to complement and ameliorate their diets

• despite they are not frequently used, there exists a lot of WEPs in the region with interesting nutritional characteristics such as– Gnetum africanum; Treculia africana; etc.

• women were eager to know more about WEPs and their health characteristics

• development of food-based dietary guidelines based on local foods and integrating WEPs



the role of trees/forest-based systems – some emerging conclusions…

tree/forest-based food systems offer a number of advantages over permanent (crop) agriculture given their adaptability to a broader range of environmental conditions (e.g., soils, topography and climate) and the diversity of food products derived from them


the role of trees/forest-based systems – some emerging conclusions

question:How do these different land use-patches interact with

each other in space and time to influence the productivity and sustainability of forest-food systems ?



things to do…collect data, especially at the global and national

level, on the actual extent of most of these systems, the numbers of people who rely on one or more such systems to meet their household food and/or income needs, and the relative value of different food systems on the diets and health of those who manage them, with emphasis on nutritional value of the different species…



things to do…... in order to inspire/guide/inform policy-makers,

planners and development agencies seeking to improve the lives of food-insecure populations



objective:combine the best of traditional and formal scientific

knowledge to enhance their productivity and direct (food and nutritional security) and indirect (income) benefits to their practitioners


Thanks for your attention


Environment

12 patrick-van-damme-forests-trees-for-sustainable-diets-tree-diversity-day-2014-cop12