Sra. Stella Kimambo
Food security and nutrition
Food security and nutrition
Pulses: innovations from the field to the cooking pot
Tanzanian production and exports of pulses have both increased rapidly in the last decade. However, the country faces serious challenges in this sector. The lack of innovative recipes, seeds, poor agricultural practices, and the presence of pests and diseases, poor marketing strictures, all end up affecting yields, quality and consumptions.
Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most serious significant public health problems among children of 6 to 59 months and women of child bearing age (15 to 49 years) in Tanzania. According to available data, the national prevalence of anemia is at 59% for children under five years of age and 41% for women of reproductive age (TDHS, 2016). There have been various remarkable nutrition interventions in the country since 1999 aimed at decreasing the prevalence of (Iron deficiency anemia) IDA; however the problem in the country has persisted and remaining as a public health problem. Iron deficiency anemia impairs the growth and learning ability of children, lowers resistance to infectious diseases and reduces the physical work capacity and productivity of adults. Severe anemia during pregnancy increases the risk of maternal death and of having a low birth weight infant.
The average per capital consumption in 2007 was only 6.8 gm/day/household while the recommended intake is at least 30 gm/day/household (TNBS, 2010). Moreover, the consumption trend has been declining over time. Statistics show that between 2000 and 2009 per capita consumption decreased by 1.4% and the decrease was almost two folds (3.5%) after two years (FAOSTAT, 2014). This trend reflects changes in consumer preferences and failures by suppliers to align pulses attributes to consumer preferences.
Global demand is growing for pulses as a heart-healthy food, however in many cultures, pulses are considered as ‘protein for the poor’. There are a number of reasons why they are underestimated. The most common ones are: they can cause bloating, flatulence, and; unless they are soaked for hours, pulses take a long time to cook.
Despite its nutritional importance, pulse consumption trends in Tanzania has been decreasing from time to time and the factors underlying these could be the household characteristics such as food habits, household size and access to resources among other factors, which can potentially lead to their low consumption. For this reasons above we need to promote interventions to increase intake of pulse rich foods to reduce micronutrient malnutrition and NCDs.
What can be done concretely to increase the consumption of pulses?
Pulses contain some anti-nutrients, which are substances that reduce the body’s ability to absorb the various minerals that pulses contain. Fortunately, many of these issues (bloating, flatulence, anti-nutrients and length of cooking time) can be overcome using traditional cooking techniques, such as soaking, germination (sprouting), fermentation and pounding. Traditional methods can also help to reduce the content of the anti-nutrients. When other foods are combined with pulses, the nutritional value of pulses is further enhanced, as other foods help to ensure that the body is able to better absorb all the nutrients found in pulses; for examples, when beans are eaten with other foods such as grains, the nutritional value of pulses is even greater as the body is better able to absorb iron and other minerals found in pulses.
Consider different models of production along the pulses value chain such as smallholder subsistence agriculture and commercial agriculture. Each of these models have their specificities. Smallholder famers normally are less efficient and relies on intercropping based on lower-yielding seed varieties, produce only for household consumption, rely on rainfall for production, and faces volume consistency challenges. In addition to that, they face a lot of challenges in productivity, postharvest losses, inadequate access to finance, and difficulties in commercialization. Nevertheless, it is an important means of food security in numerous rural regions where almost half of the production is used for household consumption and nutrition security (protein). For, medium-to-large-scale producers generate larger volume of pulses due to more efficient production techniques and easier access to inputs and finance. Large-scale producers focus on the export market. These two models are currently both essential and actually complementary for the development of the pulses sector in the United Republic of Tanzania.
United Republic of Tanzania is the result of the union between the Republic of Tanganyika and the People’s Republic of Zanzibar, every part has its own policies on area agricultural, food security and nutrition, for that reason, there are many designed policies in a country, which when in counted by poor coordination and multi-sector strategies and interventions, confusing implementation process.
The development policies policy framework which are related to agricultural priorities are;-
Others
Nutrition policies and strategies
FAO (2014) report on food losses and waste indicates negative impact of both qualitative and quantitative losses on FSN sector. I expect the coming decade to support food losses and waste reduction strategies in the context of sustainable food systems to enhance food security and nutrition security.
Dear FSN- Moderator,
Kindly find below ideas regarding activities that need to be implemented or accelerated to improve the food security and nutrition of the people of Tanzania
Regards
Stella
FAO Tanzania
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Introduction
Tanzania recognizing that malnutrition is a developmental challenge, and a national threat to achieving our national socio-economic objectives, especially of being an industrial knowledge driven Middle Income Country by 2025. Therefore, we expect UN Nutrition Action Plan to interpret well the decade of Food and Nutrition into an evidence-based strategic action plan that also contextualizes adaption of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and regional nutrition relevant strategies that a country can state party to take practical steps to ensure nutrition sector policies, strategies, programmes are nutrition sensitive.
Tanzania has gone through demographic, epidemiologic and nutrition transition. Nutrition has, however, contributed to the current and future rate of disease burden. Reasons for the transition are contested. The causal linkages however, may be more complicated especially in recent times, where advances and diffusion in technology have contributed to changes in mortality and morbidity. This level of stunting (50% to 34% (1992 to 2015/16) is categorized as severe in public health significance and is above the 30% average for Africa. Moreover, a double burden of malnutrition has emerged where undernutrition exists together with a rapidly increasing problem of diet-related non-communicable diseases (DRNCDs), especially overweight, obesity, hypertension and type -2 diabetes that have doubled in adults during the last decade.
QI: What are your expectations for the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition and how could it make a significant difference in improving nutrition and food security of the people in Tanzania within the next ten years?
UN Decade of Action on Nutrition should include the following critical activities to the Work Programme,
Q2; Which activities would need to be accelerated in your country to reach these targets?
Q3: What can be done to accelerate and improve the quality of commitments from the various actors? What role(s) should public and private actors play in monitoring their implementation?
The key nutrition implementers: Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies Development Partners; NGOs, the Private Sector; Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) including NGOs and Faith-Based Organizations (FBO); the Private Sector, political parties and communities
Government;
Coordinate the overall national response to nutrition including ensuring effective contribution by Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Support the multi-sectoral response to nutrition and ensuring that nutrition is adequately mainstreamed in policies and strategies of the key line ministries (Provide oversight for governance and accountability of all sectors and actors in nutrition)
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA)
To ensure that nutrition is adequately reflected in MDA policies, strategic plans, programs, legislation, regulations and guidelines as well as monitoring the integration of nutrition interventions
NGOs, CBOs, FBOs
Integrate nutrition issues in their programs, projects and activities targeting communities and households; and align their nutritional plans with the government plans at the respective level within the context of the national nutrition action plans.
Professional Bodies
Will issue professional guidance in nutrition, conduct research, set professional standards and participate in the development of nutrition curricula for pre-service, in-service and continuing education; and supporting outreach activities on nutrition in communities
Political Parties
Political parties are in a unique position to promote nutrition improvement, given their reach and influence in mobilizing for social goals Incorporate food and nutrition improvement issues in their election manifestos and campaigns; Advocate for the prioritisation of nutrition in national Support initiatives for improvement of food and nutrition especially in vulnerable groups
Private Sector Institutions and media
Private sector.
The private sector will partner with Government in the provision of nutrition-relevant services at all Increase investments in production, processing, storage and marketing of high-value nutritious and healthy products and in the provision of essential basic social services (food, health, water, sanitation and hygiene) for nutrition improvement; Invest in production and marketing of appropriate low cost-labour saving technologies that enhance food and nutrition improvement at community level;
The Media
The mass media will be responsible for advocating and conveying accurate information to the public and create awareness so as to influence positive behavioral changes for nutrition improvement in line with National Social and Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) Strategy.
Development Partners
Development Partners, including the UN agencies, multilateral and bilateral organizations need to mobilise technical and financial resources for implementation, capacity development, monitoring and evaluating the UN decade for action on nutrition, also bring in international experience, norms and standards, evidence-based guidance and insights to adjust strategy and promote international cooperation in the implementation of nutrition interventions.
Q4: How can other relevant forums, such as the CFS and the UNSCN, contribute, and how can other movements (e.g. human rights, environment) be involved in the Decade
Submitted by:
Ms. Stella Kimambo,
National Food Security and Nutrition Officer,
FAO, Dar es salaam, Tanzania
Sra. Stella Kimambo
I have been watching the conversation and would like to share good life stories of a miracle porridge mixed with eggshells. As African’s, we normally plate our hairs in different styles. On July 2018, I met with a woman (46 years old) on one of the saloons at Dodoma City Tanzania. She was carrying porridge on thermos. She said that, she normally takes this porridge because it has some miraculous power in it. When I tasted the porridge, it contained unique particles comparing to a normal porridge that we usually take.
The woman explained that she was unhappy for a while using medications because she was feeling pain in her neck and legs, but one of her friends introduced her to a blended porridge of egg shells, Bambara nuts, sorghum, and maize, soon after she started drinking the porridge she was released from the pain and she is doing fine. She normally mixes 4 eggshells (after washing them with clean water and let the shells sundry), 1kg Maize; 1kg Sorghum and ½ Kg of Bambara Nuts then she goes to a milling machine nearby to get a blended flour. She further explained that her grandmother (72) for a long time, was unable to walk due to serious pain at the back and on her legs, she relied on her family for help when needed to do any movement including going to the washroom, she was introduced to the miracle porridge and within 3 months, she was healed and she can walk and do her home activities. The porridge has become like a family meal used by some family members and friends such as Janet (74) who had neck pain, extremely stressful in the hospital and she was wearing the Neck Collar Brace without any relief but the miracle porridge helped her to work as usual, now she can carry a bucket of water and do normal routing work required. This recipe worked efficiently for Flora (53) suffering from knee pain. Being dependent, she used the porridge for three weeks and she was healed. Whenever she met anyone facing the same challenge she had, she introduced the recipe to a particular person and all were healed.
Based on this, I would suggest more research on this as well as improve strategies to mitigate challenges in poultry sector such as the source of raw materials for feeds and improve poultry breeder farms and hatchery facilities; strengthening of food safety and quality control mechanisms for better utilization for health population and economic growth.