Martha Nyagaya

Combating Hidden Hunger through Bio-fortification

Annual Program Review 2011Nairobi, Kenya10 May 2011

Hidden hunger- A massive problem

Map: USAID

Map: USAID

10m deaths/yr, 50% due to malnutrition, more illness $ diseases low cognitive ability,Low capacity for physical labor, stunted impaired growth, poor reproductive health, Decline in productivity>lower GDP

The process of improving thenutritive value of staple foodsthrough:

• Conventional breeding• Genetic engineering• Fertilizer with trace elements

Bio-fortification

ProVitamin AIron Zinc

Bio-fortification: Complements existing nutrition interventions

Supplementation

Dietary Diversity

Commercial

Fortification

Biofortification

Bio-fortification- A sustainable agricultural strategy for reducing micronutrient malnutrition

• Targets the poor – who depend heavily on staple foods

• Rural based – complements fortification and supplementation

• Cost effective – research at a central location can be multiplied across countries and time

• Sustainable – investments are front loaded with low recurrent costs

A novel strategy for delivering micronutrient on a daily basis

Iron DeficientIron Sufficient

Biofortification and Commercial Fortification

12.0

Hemoglobin

Population Distribution

Supplementation

Biofortification: Improves status for those less deficient and maintains status for all

IronZinc

ProVitamin A

Active development of conventionally bred bio-fortified crops

PABRA ‘S Focus on Beans

Per capita consumption in Rwanda is about

27 kg/year (200 g/day)

Major protein, and

mineral source

Most important staple food in parts

of Eastern Africa and Latin America

High iron content (up to

10 mg/100g)

Iron absorption

around 5-10%

High content of iron absorption

inhibitors polyphenols and

phytic acid

Will Bio-fortification of beans work?

• Can breeding increase nutrient levels enough to improve human nutrition?

• Will the extra nutrients be bio-available at sufficient levels to improve micronutrient status?

• Will farmers adopt crops and will consumers buy/eat in sufficient quantities?

9

Activities and Targets – CIAT Business Plan

• Produce seed of released bio-fort lines

o Two micronutrient dense bean varieties disseminated and promoted in two countries in eastern and southern Africa

• Conduct multi-locational trials to validate levels of iron over sites

o 20 F3.5 small seeded families with 90% more iron

• Develop weaning (complementary) foods with bean flour with private sector

o At least 5 diversified bean based foods addressing micronutrient deficiencies are developed, tested, and evaluated with farmers

Multidisciplinary research teams of partners for delivery of Bio-fortified

beans in PABRA

Breeding & Plant Science/Genetics

Nutrition & Food Science

Knowledge management/M&E Policy

Markets

Product Development

& Dissemination

Germplasm screening-Analytical methods for rapid analysis of nutrients

Food science Bioavailability studies*

Biological impact in humans‘Efficacy’

Population impact ‘Effectiveness’

Research on Micronutrient Rich Beans

Determine nutrient targets-Iron -Zinc -Other foods consumed

Source: HarvestPlus

Baseline nutrition surveys: Burundi & DRC

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

No. of Preschool Children

Normal Mildunderw eight

Moderateunderw eight

Severeunderw eight

Mildoverw eight

Moderateoverw eight

Severelyoverw eight

Nutrition Indicators

Underweight Levels Among Preschool Children in DR Congo and Burundi

DR Congo-Butembo

Burundi-Gitega

0

50

100

150

200

250

No. of Preschool Children

Stunting Underweight Wasting

Nutrition Indicator

General Nutrition status of Preschool Children in DR Congo and Burundi N=261

Normal NS

Under nutrition

Over nutrition

Feasibility of improving nutrition status of vulnerable communities with improved bean varieties• Less than 50%

well nourished• High prevalence of

stunting (57%)• High correlation

between stunting (H/A) and underweight (W/A)

Incidence and cause of food insecurity212399149101465398402101195198

0

20

40

60

80

100

____

____

Gite

ga

Kiru

ndo

Rus

izi p

lain

s

Bas

-Con

go

Nor

d-K

ivu

Sud

-Kiv

u

Gita

ram

a

Kib

uye-

Gis

enyi

Kig

ali-K

ibun

go

Um

utar

a

Burundi DR Congo Rwanda

Pro

po

rtio

n o

f h

ou

seh

old

s (

%)

Enoughfood typeand quantityEnoughquantity utnot alwaysOften notenoughquantitySometimesnot enoughquantity

n =

Source: CIALCA

Baseline micronutrient level in commercial crop

Storage losses

Retention - processing losses

Non-bioavailable

Bioavailable micronutrient content ≥ Desired Amount

Determine Breeding Targets

Target Increment µgg-1

to be added Bioavailability Iron: 5 - 10%Zinc: 25%

Targets: 3 fold increase in bean iron• Iron content in bean

o Baseline = 50 micrograms/gramo Target = 94 micrograms/gramo Estimated bio-fortification target increment = 44 micrograms/gram

• Zinc content in beano Baseline = 30 micrograms/gramo Target = 47 micrograms/gramo Estimated bio-fortification target increment = 17 micrograms/gram

• Consumption o 200 grams/day – women; o 100 grams/day – children 4-6 years of age; o 50 grams/day - 1-3 year olds

Assumed iron retention - 85% Assumed absorption - 5%

Participatory Variety Selection

• 86% of farmers prioritize agronomic superiority over micronutrient density

• Data from South Western Uganda

• N = 1200

o Agronomic superiority

o Cooking qualities

o Marketability

o Nutrition quality

Bio-fortified Bean - ReleasesGenotype Fe/Zn Year of

release Country Partners No. of HH reached

NUA 1Fe 112Zn 43

2010 Kenya Nangina, MOH, 18 CBOs 26,067

NUA 45Fe 102Zn 35

2009 MalawiZimbabwe

CRS, Demeter Seed Co, MoA, Bunda

College, ARDNo not

processed

Roba 1Fe 109

Zn 41ppm2010 Ethiopia

S. TanzaniaFRG, World Vision, District Agriculture

offices 67,772

M.SoyaFe 102Zn 35

2008 RwandaEast DRC CRS, WV, Imbaraga 95,620

Will intake of additional Iron from beans improve micronutrient status?

• High variation in Iron levels

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

G21

078

Nua

43

Cal9

6

Nua

45

Afr 2

98

Nua

4

Nua

50

Nua

56

Nua

30

G21

242

G14

519

Radi

cal

Nua

35

G23

823E

MIB

504

MIB

488

MIB

499

MIB

497

MIB

496

MIB

602

Fe (p

pm)

Other than ferritin Fe

Ferritin Fe

Inhibitors of iron absorption in beans• Polyphenols

o Wide variations depending on bean varieties (color)

o Mainly in bean hulls

• Phytic acido Content constantly high

0.7-1.2 g/100 go Mainly in cotyledons

0

200

400

600

800

1000

MEX

142

CAB

19VC

B 81

013

Awas

h M

elka

Ranj

onom

byItu

ri M

atat

aH

RS 5

45CA

B 2

CAB

19 (F

9)

Mah

arag

iLi

biRW

V 52

8Ro

ba 1

Nak

aja

Goft

aG

233

1

TY 3

396-

12Ze

bra

GLP

X92

Ayen

ew

Selia

n 97

Um

uban

oRW

R 10

Vuni

nkin

giG

LP 5

85D

ecel

aya

GLP

24

Um

uban

o K1

ABA

136

Vuni

nkin

giM

asha

i Red

MCM

200

139

.333

3333

3

Oba

-1G

LP 2

AND

620

PVA

8

VNB

8101

0BC

R 4

MLB

49/

89A

mg

GAE

/100

g dm

Tajeri Foman 2006

Options for increasing adequacy of iron intake?

Enhancers of absorption

Inhibitors of absorption

Plant ferritin

Inulin?

Carotenoids?

Phytate

Polyphenols

% loss of iron Fe and Zn in bean after cooking

Sample Raw Bean Effect of cooking

Fe (mg/100g)

Zn (mg/100g)

Fe (mg/100g)

Zn (mg/100g) % loss Fe % loss Zn

AFR 708 8.2 1.5 7.3 1.4 11.0 6.7AND 620 8 1.3 7.7 1.2 3.8 7.7

AWASH MELKA 6.7 1.5 6.5 1.5 3.0 0.0

AYENEW 4.7 1.4 4.3 1.3 8.5 7.1G59/1-2 6.4 1.3 6.1 1.3 4.7 0.0GLP 2 7.6 1.6 7.6 1.6 0.0 0.0GOFTA 7.1 1.5 6.9 1.4 2.8 6.7HRS 545 6 1.8 5.8 1.7 3.3 5.6ITURI MATATA 7.7 1.4 7.4 1.3 3.9 7.1JESCA 6.1 1.5 6.1 1.5 0.0 0.0K 131 7.9 1.6 7.7 1.6 2.5 0.0K 132 8 1.3 7.8 1.3 2.5 0.0KIANGARA 7.4 1.4 7.2 1.5 2.7 -7.1 Average 3.7 2.6

Effect of Cooking on Tannins and Phytates Bean Variety %Tannin

Reduction% Phytate Reduction Bean Variety %Tannin

Reduction% Phytate Reduction

MAHARAGI SOJA 50.0 74.7 VNB 81010 61.1 43.4SELIAN 97 60.9 70.1 NAKAJA 50.0 41.6OBA-1 45.0 63.4 KIANGARA 71.4 40.8VCB 81013 75.0 61.7 RED NOLAITA 63.2 40.3GLP 2 81.0 59.2 ROBA-1 55.6 39.7M'MAFUTALA 20.0 58.7 MAASAI RED 40.7 39.7RWR 10 57.7 58.2 K132 47.6 38.5TY 3396-12 54.5 56.4 MLB 49-89A 33.3 38.3PVA 8 69.2 54.8 LIB 1 50.0 38.3HRS 545 66.7 54.2 K131 57.1 37.6MCM 2001 40.0 51.9 AWASH MELKA 66.7 37.4MEX 142 66.7 49.3 SIMAMA 50.0 36.4NAIN DE KYONDO 75.0 49.0 ZEBRA 71.4 34.3SOYA FUPI 57.1 47.2 AFR 708 23.5 27.2NGUAKU NGUAKU 60.0 46.2 GOFTA 33.3 24.9LINGOT BLANC 33.3 45.9 KIRUNDO 33.3 23.6G59/1-2 55.6 45.6 AYENEW 66.7 23.5RANJONOMBY 75.0 44.6 AND 620 25.9 22.4ITURI MATATA 50.0 43.8 JESCA 44.4 16.0MEAN MEAN 53.6 44.2

New Recipes • 6 recipe books developed

Bean Product Development• Development of Bean Based food products that address

target nutrient deficiencies in children• Focus – Iron, zinc and protein needs/deficiencies,

nutrient density and quality

• This products is being tested in Ethiopia for utilization in addressing iron zinc and protein deficiencies in children weaning away from breast feeding

Light nutrient dense mixture for weaning children

Recommended Nutrient Intake for children0.75g/kg of bodyIron 10mg/dayZinc 9mg/day

Formulation 70 % of maize/other staple + 30 % of Micronutrient rich beans

Protein 13g/100gIron 7.19mg/100gZinc 2.47mg/100g

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

18.0

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Iron (

%)

Variety

Bioavailable Iron from raw and cooked green shelled beans

% Bioavailable Iron (Fe) Cooked Green Shelled Beans % Bioavailable Iron (Fe) Raw Green Shelled Beans

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Zinc

(%)

Variety

Bioavailable Zinc from raw and cooked green shelled beans

% Bioavailable Zinc (Zn) Raw Green Shelled Beans % Bioavailable Zinc (Zn) Cooked Green Shelled Beans

012345678

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Iron

(%)

Variety

Bioavailability of iron from raw and cooked beans

% Bioavailable Iron (Fe) from Raw Beans % Bioavailable Iron (Fe) from Cooked Beans

00.5

11.5

22.5

33.5

44.5

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Zinc

(%)

Variety

Bioavailability of zinc from raw and cooked beans

% Bioavailable Zinc (Zn) from Raw Beans % Bioavailable Zinc (Zn) from Cooked Beans

Bioavailability of iron and zinc in green shelled and dry beans

Comparative evaluation of % in vitro bio-availability of minerals cooked with Magadi soda and/or bean ash

Food type cooked Mineral content

No addition of magadi or bean-

ashAddition of un-ashed magadi

Addition of ashed

magadi

Addition of un-ashed

bean debris

Addition of ashed bean

debris

Total iron content % bioavailable ironMaize 1.98 4.1b 3.4a 3.3a 3.4a 3.2a

Beans 8.72 5.2b 3.3a 3.3a 3.5a 3.4a

Sorghum 1.5 3.8d 2.2a 3.4c 3.1b 3.2b

Total zinc content % bioavailable zincMaize 0.52 3.4c 3.0b 2.8b 2.2a 2.3a

Beans 3.32 5.5d 4.2c 4.2c 3.9b 3.6a

Sorghum 0.4 3.3c 2.9b 2.7b 2.0a 2.1a

Cooking time (minutes)Maize 345 252 250 258 255Beans 180 125 120 133 130Sorghum 240 175 170 173 171

Percentages of respective mineral along rows with same superscripts for magadi and bean-ash samples are not significantly different at P≤0.05

Reduction of cooking time – effect of soaking

GenotypeTime (minutes) – Range 48- 15-0

% reduction in cooking timeSoaked Not Soaked

AFR 708 93.5 165.0 43.3

AND 620 91.0 220.0 58.6

Awash Melka 75.0 111.5 32.7

G59/1-2 107.5 155.0 30.7

GLP-2 92.5 161.0 42.6

GLP-92 132.5 163.5 18.9

Gofta 112.5 209.5 46.3

HRS 545 120.0 160.5 25.2

Ituri Matata 93.0 131.5 29.3

Jesca 112.5 161.0 30.1

K132 82.5 141.0 41.5

Kiangara 80.0 125.0 36.0

Efficacy

• To establish whether there is a physiological adaptation to the inhibitory effect of bean polyphenols during long term consumption of a mixed diet

• To compare the biological impact of iron bio-fortified beans on biochemical and functional indicators of iron status

Nutrition Education

&awareness creation

Market Development

Seed systems

Government bodies/Local & International NGO’s

Agriculture & Nutrition Workers

Community-based Ag, Nutrition & Marketing Promoters

Farmers and Women’s Groups

Scaling up dissemination withpartnerships for REU at different levels

Summary

• Breeding progress is good and several bio-fortified bean varieties can be released by 2012

• Nutritional impact is assessed throughout development – efforts will be intensified will be intensified in the next year

• Dissemination strategies are considered early on in product developmento Impacto Costs