Improving Nutrition through Local Agrobiodiversity (INULA)

This project in Kenya funded by GIZ   [1](Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit, Germany) aims to “improve the nutritional health of women and children under two years through increased utilization of local agricultural biodiversity”.

Research is being undertaken in four different agro-ecological zones in Western Kenya and carried out largely by agriculture and nutrition students from Kenyatta University  [2] in Nairobi, Kenya, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen  [3], Germany and Oxford University  [4], Great Britain. The main objective is “to increase the evidence base that agricultural biodiversity is linked to dietary diversity and quality”.

Nutritional knowledge as a key

While the causes of undernutrition are complex, with poverty being front and centre, one of the major immediate causes is the decline in the diversity and nutritional quality of diets. One area that requires further understanding is the role of agricultural biodiversity in improving dietary quality and nutritional outcomes, especially if these foods can contribute to improved complementary foods for children less than two years of age.

While many different foods might be still locally available, they are often not used for certain family members (e.g. small children), are processed inadequately or are not eaten in a beneficial combination with other foods. Also, the fluctuation of seasonal availability is high for some foods and, thus, certain nutrients. In addition there exists a gap in knowledge of how to provide balanced diets during all seasons.

Consequently, this project will carry out nutrition education sessions for a period of six months with different family members in selected intervention villages on diversifying diets with seasonal and locally available agricultural biodiversity, especially regarding complementary feeding (for children under two years of age).

Expected project outcomes

• To further establish the link between agricultural biodiversity and dietary diversity and quality by increasing the evidence base and to make this knowledge available especially to national partners in Kenya of both nutrition/health and agricultural sectors.

• Knowledge about the availability, accessibility and utilization of local agricultural biodiversity to understand what foods are locally available, especially for complementary feeding, and what foods are lacking or needed during certain seasons to be increased both in terms of production and consumption e.g. vitamin A rich fruits/vegetables or animal source foods.

• Newly developed nutrient adequate recipes for complementary feeding during different seasons integrating locally available foods.

• An impact study after the nutrition education will show success and/or challenges of this intervention and will provide the basis for modification, improvement and further up-scaling of this intervention approach.

Further information

The project is consistent with the cross-cutting initiative on biodiversity for food and nutrition and contributes to the Bioversity Nutrition Strategy  [5] as well as CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health  [6]. 

If you would like more information on this project, please contact: Gudrun Keding  g.keding(at)cgiar.org  [7]