Effect of introduced foods on the diversity of traditional foods and its potential impact on diets and nutritional status of rural poor

communities in Southern Benin (West Africa)

Ntandou‐Bouzitou Gervais, PhDAvohou T. Hermane, IrOdjo Sylvanus, M. Sc.Hounhouigan Joseph, PhD

ICDAM8, Rome, Italy16 May 2012

An ethnobiological approach

Funding:

Keys conceptsConcepts Aspects include

Traditional foods

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

Introduced foods

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

Abandonnedfoods

Foods consumed by ancestors but not consumed now

Raw foods Unprocessed foods (consumed raw, natural)Food diversity Number of different foods/food groups

Food species Any edible plant or animal organisms

Introduction (1)

• Traditional food systems in the developing countries are changing under the influence of urbanization, globalization and market integration

• Traditional crops and foods are being replaced with introduced ones from external sources into rural areas 

• The complete substitution of traditional foods and diets by introduced ones may not be desirable since theses new dietary patterns also generate problems (e.g: chronic diseases)

Introduction (2)

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

• Sub‐Saharan African countries such as Benin have valuable rich traditional foods through available local agrobiodiversity

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

objectives• Identify existing food diversity in the study sites 

(local and introduced foods)

• Describe food habits of locals in the areas

• Identify factors responsible for abandonment or low consumption of  traditional foods

• Evaluate potential role of market accessibility in abandonment of traditional foods and its replacement with introduced foods among rural poor. 

METHODS

Setting and design of the study

Wet Lower Mid‐altitudeDry Lowland

Six communes of southern Benin: Same agroecological region Representating 2 out of 3 major sociolinguistic groups of southern Benin: 

• Gbe‐Adja groups: Fon, Goun, Tori, • Ede‐Yorouba groups: Yoruba & Nagot

Benin

Rural population at high level of chronic malnutrition

• Identification of existing markets and surrounding villages in the study areas

• Characterization of markets into market types:  Urban market: Main daily market in the town Semi‐urban market: daily market, semi‐urban area Rural market: periodical market, rural area

• Assessment of levels of market accessibility by: Distance (km) travel time in vehicle (min)

• Grouping villages of the same level market accessibility

• Selection of villages of the same level of market accessibility across types of markets

• Selection of participants at village level

Multi‐steps sampling method for the selection of villages

Levels of market accessibility 

based on distance (from each village to  reference market)

• High: 0-6 km; • Medium: 6-12 km; • Low: > 12 km;

0‐3 km

3‐6 km

9‐12 km

6‐9 km

12‐15 km

• High: ≤30 min,• Medium: 30-60 min• Low: >60 min• Very low: > 90 min

Levels of market accessibility based on  travel time in vehicle (from each village to reference market) 

Methods of data collection

Market survey(N = 30 markets)

Community‐based survey at village level(N = 34 villages)

Key Informants Interviews ‐ 4 per village‐ Older people with good 

knowledge of the biodiversity of the area

Focus group discussions‐ 2 groups per village‐ Representatives of various 

sociocultural groups & age‐ Participants selected in 

collaboration with villages chiefs & their advisors

Simple observation

Market survey 

• Observation of existing foods (traditional and introduced)

• Collection of data on price of the foods

Community‐based survey (1)Keys informants interviews

• Inventory the edible plant and animal species in each village of the study areas (free listing) 

• For each species, specification on  names (vernacular, French, English and scientific) seasonal and spatial availability physical and financial accessibility types of uses parts consumed and frequency of consumption 

(e.g.: everyday, 1‐3 times/week, 1‐2 times/month),

level of domestication (wild, semi‐wild, cultivated)

Community‐based survey (2)Focus group discussions

• Inventory of all foods (traditional, introduced, unprocessed and processed) consumed in each village

• Changes in food consumption: foods abandoned, period and reasons 

of abandonment  Introduced foods sources and extent of 

consumption Local foods fully or partially replaced 

with introduced ones and reasons for foods replacement

RESULTS

Overall food diversity inventoriedFood origin Food

speciesFood groups Unprocessed foods 

(raw, natural)Traditional foods include

Animal 94

Fish and seafood 16 13Meat and poultry 68 63Eggs 5 5Dairy 1 1Others (insects) 2 2Total animal 92 84

Plant 76

Cereals 4 2Fruits & juices 35 31Legumes/nuts 14 12Roots/tubers 6 5Vegetables 51 46Fats/Oils 3 2Others 4 3Total plant 115 101

Total 170 207 185

Abandoned foods and reasons of abandonment

• 109 foods were reported as abandoned for various reasons:  Deforestation and population growth 45% Changing of traditional culture

(valuing all imported goods to the detriment    of local ones, snobbery, unconscious  imitation of developed countries)

12%

High attractiveness of imported foods 6% Long cooking time 5% Others

(Poor availability throughout the year of  some traditional foods, climate change,  taboo, devaluation  into “food for the poor”)

33%

Examples of food substitution

Substituted foods Substitute foodsEgusi seeds SoyaMaize paste Rice

Amon/Wagashi (local cheese made from milk)

Soya cheese

Meat Soya cheese

Peanut oil, Palm oil Cotton oil

Fish Canned fish

Fresh tomato Canned tomato

traditional condiments Maggi cube

Fresh fish, meat  Frozen imported fish & meat

Changes in food consumption as function of time (years ago)

Traditional foods abandoned

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

<10 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 >50

Mean

prop

ortio

n of

food

saba

ndon

ed(%

)

Period of abandonment (years ago)

Introduced foods widely consumed

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

<10 10-20 20-30 30-40 40-50 >50

Mean

pro

porti

on o

f int

rodu

ced

and

wide

ly co

nsum

ed fo

ods (

%)

Period of introduction (years ago)

Most traditional foods have been abandoned within the last 20‐30 years during the same period of introduction of foods widely consumed

Effect of market (type and accessibility) on the diversity of foods consumed at village level

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

≤ 2 km 3‐4 km 5‐6 km ≥ 6 km

Food

 diversity (n

umbe

r of foo

ds)

* Poisson Regression, G2=. ‐13.825, p=0.0002)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Urban Semi-Urban Rural

Food

dive

rsity

(num

bero

f foo

ds)

* Poisson Regression, G2=‐6.548, p=0.0105)

Type of market attended Proximity to market

**

Changes in food diversity as function of the accessibility to reference markets

Indicator variables of food habits changes (mean number)

Market accessibility (travel time in mn) p‐values*

≤30 mn > 30 mnFoods abandoned 7.5±2.9 6.3±1.5 0.287Foods that tend to disappear 6.2±3.3 5.4±2.5 0.473Foods introduced & widely consumed 9.5±2.1 6.9±2.2 0.018S

Foods introduced & poorly consumed 6.1±3.5 5.3±2.1 0.450Imported or manufactured replacementfoods

2.4±1.7 1.9±0.8 0.475

Locally produced traditional foodsreplaced

4.5±2.1 3.1±1.0 0.090 S

* Poisson regression; S=significant at 0.1

Changes in food diversity as function of type of market attended

* Poisson regression; S=significant at 0.1

Indicator variables of food habits changes (mean number)

Type of market p‐values*Urban Semi‐

urbanRural

Foods abandoned 9.0±2.8 6.7±2.8 6.7±2.5 0.233Foods that tend to disappear 9.3±1.9 6.2±2.8 5.8±2.7 0.090S

Foods introduced & widelyconsumed

7.5±0.6 9.0±3.1 9.0±2.1 0.501

Foods introduced & poorlyconsumed

9.0±1.6 5.0±2.5 3.7±1.4 0.001S

Imported or manufacturedreplacement foods

3.3±1.7 2.0±1.3 1.2±1.0 0.024S

Locally produced traditionalfoods replaced

5.5±2.4 4.3±2.5 4.0±1.3 0.306

Conclusion (1)• Great diversity of both traditional and

introduced foods

• Much of abandoned traditional foods is replaced by introduced foods

• Traditional foods sources are still diversified despite the introduction of foods for external sources

• Market accessibility positively contributes to increasing overall food diversity available to the population, but also contributes to decreasing diversity of traditional foods

Discussion (2)• While attending semi-urban market is

associated to more food diversity, participation to urban market by the rural poor seems associated to more consumption of introduced foods

• Since the region of the study is still at high level of food insecurity and chronic children malnutrition despite the great diversity of both traditional and introduced foods, there is a need to assess the nutritional contribution and related health outcomes of these foods and diets to address the issues raised

Acknowledgments• Study participants• Local partners • All stakeholders 

involved in the study• Donors (Bill & Melinda 

Gates Foundation and the CGIAR Consortium)

Contact :Dr Gervais Ntandou‐BouzitouNutrition and Marketing of Diversity Bioversity International, West and Central Africa c/o IITA, 08BP 0932 Cotonou‐BeininTel: +(229) 21 35 01 88 ext. 293 ; Fax: +(229) 21 35 05 56E‐mail: g.ntandou‐bouzitou@cgiar.org ; web: www.bioversityinternational.org

Thank you

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