Presentation given by Bioversity International Scientists Gina Kennedy and Fabrice Declerck on how taking a nutrition-sensitive approach is creating a 'win win' in the Barotse Floodplain, Zambia by deploying biodiversity for both improved nutrition and for healthy agricultural ecosystems. http://www.bioversityinternational.org/research-portfolio/diet-diversity/nutrition-sensitive-landscapes/ This work is carried out in partnership with the CGIAR Research Programs on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health and Aquatic Agricultural Systems, the Earth Institute, Colombia University and Wageningen University.

1. Beyond the plate: Biodiversity as ‘win win’ in Barotse
food systems
Gina Kennedy, Fabrice DeClerck and the NSL team
9th April 2015
Photo:
Farmers in the Barotse floodplain, Zambia.
Credit: Wageningen University/T. del Río

2. Adequate
dietary
intake
Disease
Supporting
services
Ecosystems
and their
biodiversity
Provisioning
services
Regulatory
services
Cultural
services
Human
nutrition
outcomes
FOOD
CARE
HEALTH
Nutrition Sensitive Landscapes

3. Nutrition-sensitive landscape hypotheses
• Agricultural biodiversity within landscapes can lead to more
nutritionally diversified diets
• Environmental management and restoration of agricultural
landscapes can be a critical pathway to improve sustainability
Environment
Agricultural
production & food
system
Human nutrition &
health

4. An integrated approach in Barotse, Zambia
• Malnutrition high and
ecosystems degraded – e.g.
fisheries
• Bringing together disciplines
to find solutions to improve
nutrition and other
ecosystem services
Photo:
Farmers in the Barotse floodplain, Zambia.
Credit: Wageningen University/T. del Río

5. Taking a inter-disciplinary approach
• Food availability and diets
– Food availability from seasonal calendars
– Dietary intakes over seasons
• Ecosystem services
– Landscape and land type characterization
– Soil and water content assessment
• Farming systems characterization
– Farm production, off farm purchasing and nutrients available
from the farm
• Perceptions, values and practices
– Traditional knowledge and social values of land use

6. Food consumption
Dietary intakes over 3 seasons, Barotse
100
2 2 9
69
1
23
0
18
0
99
2 1
24
69
2
42
47
57
2
100
4
9
20
39
1
70
10
36
1
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
All starchy
staple foods
Beans and
peas
Nuts and
seeds
Dairy Flesh foods Eggs Vitamin A-rich
dark green
leafy
vegetables
Other vitamin
A-rich
vegetables
and fruits
Other
vegetables
Other fruits
%ofadultsconsumingfoodgroup
Baseline - Jul/Aug (N=362) First Follow-up - Nov (N=391) Second Follow-up - Feb/Mar (N=336)

7. Land use mapping – dry season

8. Land use mapping – wet season

9. Looking ahead
Photo:
Farmer indicating how high the water can get during the wet season, Barotse floodplain, Zambia.
Credit: Wageningen University/T. del Río

10. Crop opportunities with drought/flood cycle
• Flood cycle determines crop suitability by location
– Traditional knowledge and agroecologies of land use
• Social condition determines labour availability
– Seeds adapted to societal capabilities
• Household condition determines
food security needs
– Seeds that provide societal needs

11. Seasonal consumption of food groups in adults
Mapungu (upland 1)
Nalitoya (upland 2)
Lealui (lowland)
Hunger season
Fish Ban
Rainy season
Cold months
Hot months
Mapungu
Lealui
Nalitoya
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
J F M A M J J A S O N D
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Seasonal Patterns: environment & nutrition
NutritionalFunctionalDiversity

12. Farm and landscape design
EcosystemService
Nutrition
Housing
Intensive grassland
Extensive grassland
Maize
Wheat
Woodland
Groot&Rossing,2011.MethodsinEcologyandEvolution.

13. 0
400
800
1200
1600
2000
2400
-20 0 20 40 60 80
Laborbalance(h)
a.
-500
-250
0
250
500
-20 0 20 40 60 80
Organicmatterbalance(kg/ha)
b.
-500
-250
0
250
500
0 400 800 1200 1600 2000 2400
c.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
-20 0 20 40 60 80
Operating profit (k€)
Soilnitrogenloss(kg/ha)
d.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
0 400 800 1200 1600 2000 2400
Labor balance (h)
e.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
-500 -250 0 250 500
Organic matter balance (kg/ha)
f.
e.g. from Groot et al., 2012. Agricultural Systems.
LaborbalanceOrganicmatterbalanceWholeofDiet(Np/Nc)
Yield/Profit Whole of Diet (Np/Nc)Labor balance
Exploring the Win-wins

14. Learning Plots: Orange trees and orange-
fleshed sweet potatoes

15. • Decision support for
community owned
interventions
• Nutrition outcomes in
farming system tools
• Farm and landscape
multifunctionality
analysis tools
Beyond Barotse
Photo:
Ecosystem services mapping with farmers and rural communities in the Barotse floodplain, Zambia.
Credit: Wageningen University/T.del Río

16. In partnership with:
Photo:
Fisherman in the Barotse floodplain at sunset, Zambia
Credit: Wageningen University/T. del Rio

17. www.bioversityinternational.org
Thank you