Geneflow
- 2005 Special Section
A publication about agricultural biodiversity
Biodiversity for nutrition and health
A growing proportion of the world’s urban poor largely depend on processed foods that are high in energy but low in other nutrients vital to good health.
Since agriculture began some 12 000 years ago, approximately 7000 plant species and several thousand animal species have been used for human food. Today, some traditional and indigenous communities continue to use 200 or more...
Dietary diversity a key to nutrition
The Millennium Development Goals call for the world to reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger before the year 2015.
IPGRI has been working with partners around the world to ensure that policy-makers and planners give due weight to dietary diversity as a means to deliver better health and nutrition. In April 2005, an international...
Foxtail millet enjoys revival in India
Shantamma helped to inspire the return of foxtail millet to her region
Foxtail millet originated in Asia, where farmers have grown the crop for nearly 5000 years. In South India, foxtail millet—popularly known as navane—was a staple until about 40 years ago when it began to fall into disfavour,...
Traditional foods could improve health in the Pacific and beyond
Carotenoid-rich banana cultivars, such as ‘Uht Mwas’, a Fe’i banana, promise a solution to vitamin A deficiency in Micronesia. Photo by Lois Englberger
Traditional fruits and vegetables, which have all but disappeared from modern diets in the Pacific, could hold the key to solving major health problems associated with the region's growing levels of vitamin A deficiency. A diet...
Island food community of Pohnpei promotes a healthier diet in the Pacific
Crab Swamp Taro Volcanoes won a prize in the recipe contest sponsored by the Island Food Community as part of its celebration of World Food Day.
A new non-governmental organization (NGO) is helping communities in the Federated States of Micronesia to reassert their agricultural selfsustainability. As it relates in its mission statement, The Island Food Community of...
Biofortification for more nutritious crops
Improving the nutrient content of staple foods ensures that the poorest people have access to some of the nutrients they need.
Dietary diversity provides the ultimate means to end the hidden hunger of micronutrient malnutrition. However, when staple foods are the most affordable option for the hungry, the hungry tend to eat a lot of them. In some...
Wild relatives boost zinc levels in wheat
Dr Ismail Cakmak and colleagues found that wild relatives of wheat show high tolerance to zinc deficient soils.
Zinc deficiency is implicated in health problems worldwide, including agonizing central nervous system defects in newborn babies. No firm estimates are available on the number of people who are zinc deficient, but over a...
Spreading the good word about moringa
PROPAGE is leading a campaign to encourage greater use of the nutritionally important moringa tree in Africa.
Adding diversity to people's diets using locally available foods offers a long-term solution to the problem of malnutrition in poor countries. Traditional leafy vegetables, for example, are some of the most nutritious foods...
Scientists predict African fruit trees could help solve major public health problem
The baobab produces an extremely nutritious fruit.
Scientists are working to domesticate wild fruit trees in an attempt to head off one of Africa's most serious public health problems. By many accounts it's a race against time. Africa's forests and woodlands, which for...
Home gardens for a healthy future in Nepal
An old woman poses with her grandchild in front of their home garden, Nepal. Home gardens play a critical role in fulfilling a family’s nutritional and dietary needs.
In Nepal, traditional home gardens represent a largely unrecognized source of nutritional plant diversity. Their small size and non-commercial nature differentiate them from other types of land use. These features have also...
Wild and uncultivated foods: a healthful alternative
The Chepang, also known as the Praja, are regarded as the most marginalized ethnic group in Nepal. For generations, they have lived in small, isolated settlements at elevations from 460 to 1220 metres along the slopes of the...
Combating vitamin A deficiency with orange-fleshed sweet potato
One of the easiest ways to introduce more vitamin A into the diet is to eat orange-fleshed sweet potato.
In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 3 million children under the age of five suffer from blindness as a result of vitamin A deficiency. This deficiency is also one of the leading causes of early childhood death and a major risk...
Nutritious tubers: the Livingstone potato
The Livingstone potato is richer in vitamin A than any other tuber.
So-called neglected species are showing great promise in efforts to fight hunger and malnutrition. In Africa, for example, the tuber commonly known as the 'Livingstone potato' is being studied for its exceptional nutritional...
Traditional vegetables: healthy and empowering
ROP is fighting malnutrition by mobilizing women in Kenya to grow and eat nutritious leafy vegetables.
In recent years, consumers in sub-Saharan Africa have discovered a newfound appreciation for traditional leafy vegetables, in large part because of the unique nutrients and micronutrients they contain. In western Kenya, thanks...
New skills help enrich home gardens in Nepal: a farmer's tale
Mrs Champa Chaudhary is typical of women from the Tharu community in western Nepal. Tharu women have little access to resources and practically no say in household decisions, despite their responsibility for cooking and other...
Rocket renaissance: an Italian favourite goes global
Its name may stem from the latin word, roc, meaning ‘harsh’ or ‘rough’, but rocket is considered a delicacy in many parts of
At one time a forbidden aphrodisiac, at another a wild weed harvested from ancient Roman ruins, the plant known as rocket has had a long and chequered career. Today, as a result of international research and agricultural...
Mayan communities conserve and use nutritious crops
Besides tortillas, Mayan cooking features over 400 different preparations for maize.
As part of an IPGRI project to strengthen the scientific basis of on-farm conservation, farmers and scientists are working together in Yucatan, Mexico to evaluate local maize and chilli pepper varieties. They hope to learn why...
Forest-to-town, sago-to-rice: the changing diets of Borneo's hunter-gatherers
Sago starch harvested from palm trees is still the main source of carbohydrate for the Punan living in the remote forest village of Rian Tibu. But it has completely disappeared from the plates of the Punan living in town, who now eat rice instead.
The metamorphosis of human society from nomadic groups to productive agricultural and urban civilizations may sacrifice human health for civil progress. A number of studies suggest nomadic foraging was a relatively salutary...
