Food and Nutrition Security in Africa, Investigating the role of local biodiversity in meeting nutritional requirements for complementary foods of infants and young children in Southern Benin, Celine Termote, Bioversity International

1. Investigating the current and potential role of
local biodiversity in meeting nutritional
requirements for complementary foods of
infants and young children (6-23 months) in
Southern Benin, West Africa
WP4 - FoodAfrica Mid-Term Seminar, Helsinki, 16 June 2014
Dr Gervais Ntandou-Bouzitou, Bioversity International, Benin
Dr Céline Termote, Bioversity International, Italy
Dr Waliou Amoussa, University of Abomey Calavi, Benin
Prof. Dr Marja Mutanen, University of Helsinki, Finland

2. Introduction: Trend of stunting in Benin (2001-2011)
Stunting rate increases dramatically from 6 months to 24 months (complementary
feeding period)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
<6 months 6-11 months 12-23 months 24-35 months 36-47 months 48-59 months
Prevalence(%)
2001
2006
2011
Source: DHS, Benin

4. Possible FoodAfrica WP4 specific actions among proposed
key proven practices to reduce child undernutrition
UNICEF, 2013

5. Research question and objectives
Research question: Why in the presence of high diversity of
food sources undernutrition exists at high level in infant and
young children (IYC)?
Objectives:
• Assessing the current and potential role of local
biodiversity in meeting nutritional requirements for
complementary foods of IYC (6-23 months)
• Assessing determinants of complementary feeding and
care practices
• Developing safe, affordable and culturally acceptable
optimized recipes and feeding practices guidelines for
use in the region through linear programming and
community participation

6. 1. Preparatory phase
– Study design (selection of sites and
participants)
– Getting local autorizations
2. Diagnostic study
– Ethnobiology survey (village level)
– Household survey (2 seasons)
– Market survey
– Nutrition composition analysis of key
selected foods
Steps of research (Main activities achieved & on-going)

7. Study sites and participants
• Rural areas of Bopa & Houeyogbe communes in Mono Department
• Households selected using multi-stages random sampling method
• 17 villages (8 in Bopa & 9 in Houeyogbe)
• sample size: 1263 households with at least one child of 6 to 23 months old randomly selected
• 1 child per household
Benin
Mono Departement
Communes of the study

8. Ethnobiology survey to assess local
biodiversity (village level)
Through focus groups discussions with men and
women in 8 villages (4 per commune)
Free listing of edible plant and animal species and
derived products in mixed groups
Local names, uses, availability, accessibility over
the year, knowledge and beliefs, etc.
Origin (production, wild, market)
Preference ranking exercises with men and women
separately
Sampling of all plant species for identification and
herbarium reference collection
Pictures of animal species where possible for
identification

9. Preliminary Results on Ethnobiology survey
Commune Village
Langue
principale
parlée
Coordonnées GPS Participants
Altitude Longitude Latitude
Hommes Femmes
Recensés
Ayant
réellement
participés
Recensées
Ayant
réellement
participées
BOPA
Hounviato
uin
Sahouè - 1°58.425 6°44.868 06 06 05 05
Djidjozoun Kotafon 27 m 2°00.913 6°43.715 06 03 06 04
Tokpoè Sahouè 37 m 1°56.132 6°35.201 05 04 05 05
Tchantcha
nkpo
Sahouè 60 m 1°56.741 6°41.878 03 03 07 07
HOUEYO
GBE
Tohon Sahouè 78 m 1°50.905 6°33.519 05 03 05 04
Aguèhon Sahouè 33 m 1°50.644 6°32.715 04 03 03 03
Agongoh Sahouè 100 m 1°52.148 6°35.703 05 05 05 05
Sohounmè Kotafon 68 m 1°47.042 6°31.371 05 05 05 04
On average 4 male and 4.6 female participants per focus group

10. Available food biodiversity at village level
Between 72 and 100 plant
species (101 and 134 varieties)
documented with an average of
85.6 species (119.9 varieties)
Between 41 and 92 animal
species documented with an
average of 60.1 species
Between 17 and 40 (average
23.4) food products were only
accessed through markets
(imported products)

11. Ethnobiology survey, next steps
Finalize databases with detailed descriptions of each
food species, specific uses, seasonality, preferences,
transformation/preparation techniques, etc.
Selection of food biodiversity for food composition
analysis
Analysis of differences/similarities in knowledge
between villages and communes
Comparison with food intake data to observe what
percentage of the available and know food biodiversity is
contributing (and how) to the local diets.

12. Household & market surveys
1. Nutritional status of IYC & mothers
through anthropometryWeight & height and nutritional indicators
2. Food consumption and diet quality (24-hour recalls)
Consumption (quantity, place, origine of foods, etc.)
Energy & nutrient adequacy
3. Collect of existing recipes of foods given to IYC
Meals, mixed foods, ingredients
Processing and cooking methods
4. Determinants of complementary feeding and care practices
(questionnaires, interviews, FGDs)
Food security & use of local foods
Agricultural production; Decision making
Social, economic , behavioural & determinants
5. Collect of price of foods/ingredients
Plant and animal species (raw / unprocessed foods)
Processed and cooked foods

13. Presentation title
Name Surname, Title
Date

14. Food security status among participant households in
Bopa and Houeyogbe communes (based on HFIAS)
23,2
8
20,1
48,7
17
7,7
27
48,4
Food secure Mildly food insecure Moderately food
insecure
Severely food
insecure
Bopa Houeyogbe
******
*** p< 0.001

15. Strategies used by households to cope with food
insecurity in Bopa & Houeyogbe communes (%)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Reducingfoods in adults pot
in favour of children
Purchasingfoods at credit
(without immediate
payment)
Eating wild foods or
harvesting immaturecrops
Eating seeds/grain normally
reserved for sowing
Leaving children to look for
food for themselves
elsewhere
Bopa Houeyogbe
***
*** p< 0.001
***

16. Presentation title
Name Surname, Title
Date

17. Next steps
• Analysis of data of diagnostic study
• Looking for relationshipships determinants, IYC feeding practices, food
consumption, diet quality and nutritional status
• Optimization of diet
• Development of new recipes meeting nutritional requirements of IYC using
linear programming
• Test the new recipes with the community (feasibility, acceptibility,
affordability)
• Dissemination of results and capacity building
• Making educational videos based on results of diagnostic study
• Promotion of good diet and health practices through posters, flyers and other
mass communication mediums
• Disseminate project results at local & international levels trough workshops,
publications, conferences, information sharing, etc.

18. Examples of dissemination videos
https://vimeo.com/80773982
https://vimeo.com/80773984

19. www.bioversityinternational.org
Thank you