1. C. Henry, S. Beyene, A.
Nayyar, G. Brehanu, H.
Haileslassie, E. Kinfe , T.
Fikre, R.T. Tyler,
Food Security Dialogue,
University of Alberta
Harnessing Pulses for linking Agriculture and
Nutrition and Ensuring Food Security

2. Challenges to Linking Agriculture and
Nutrition: Ensuring Food Security
Persistent hunger: ~ 870 million people chronically
undernourished (FAO 2012)
Growing, urbanizing population
Changes in food consumption patterns
Food price volatility
Climate change – increased occurrence of shocks
Focus on Feeding 9 Billion People (yields,
productivity)
Need to focus also on access to high quality diets

3. Challenges and Success in Linking Agriculture and Nutrition -
Marie Ruel, IFPRI

4. Nutrition Situation in Ethiopia
Micronutrient
deficiency, also
known as “hidden
hunger,” is a major
public health
problem in most
developing countries
and Ethiopia is no
exception

5. Availability
Access
Utilization
- 50% of reproductive age
group women deficient in
iron
- 72% of pregnant women in
Southern part deficient in
zinc
- 44% under five years
children stunted

6. • Population health-
gender, value chain
• Micronutrients
processing
• Household & post
harvest
• Soil quality
• Genetic varieties
• Nutrition
interventions
5 innovations
Gender

7. LegumesLegumes
Leguminous crops play an important role in the diet of
low income people
Majority of population is engaged in agriculture

8. Soils were characterized for Fe and Zn deficiency
Application of Zn along with N and P increased
haricot bean productivity as compared to Zn alone
in 2 out of 6 locations.
Both foliar and soil application of Zn on maize at
Butajira increased grain and biomass yield by 22%
and 15% respectively as compared to control
(application method).
Zn (soil and folair) application increased grain and
biomass yield by 42.5% and 44% in Zeway
Studies on productivity:
Soil/plant

9. Hawassa Dume and Ayenew produced higher grain
yield as compared to Melkie and Red Wolaita
varieties of Haricot beans (varieties)
Grain yield and biomass yield was higher at Halaba
location as compared to Taba and Meskan districts
(varieties).
Thousand seed weight and mean seed per spike were
significantly affected by bean residue (Crop residue).
Studies on productivity:
Soil/plant

10. Population health
Several studies examined the
relationship of socioeconomics,
gender, & nutrition & health
status
Focused primarily on women &
young children
Findings: female’s role was less
valued in pulses production,
local cultural practices on
decision-making limits women’s
ability to benefit economically
from the sale of pulses
Mothers need for nutrition
education

11. Studies: Pulses Value Chain Analysis
Study: Potential and constraints for livelihood improvement and
export development in selected Woredas of Southern Ethiopia
(Tewodros (2013)
Method: Survey interview questionnaire
Key Findings:
 Males dominate sale of chickpea in three of the study sites.
 Differences in intra household food distribution, meaning, some
household members, get better access to a specific food items than
others.
 One women said “ haricot bean sale is a cause of fight and
disagreement among many households because men do not tell us
for how much they sell the produce and we have no say on how the
money should be spent”
Jaffe & Kaler – Social dimensions

12. Gender
Analysis
Framework
Nigatu, et al, 2013

13. Gender-Nutrition Sensitization
Workshop
Held in Hawassa, December 4-6,2013
Goal: forum for experience sharing, feedback
gathering; issues and opportunities for implementing
a gender sensitive agenda across project sites.
Participants: 128 stakeholders (farmers, plus)
AM- Focus groups- male, female, decision makers
Afternoon- experience sharing-best practices
Several presentations- gender study, value chain

14. Gender Sensitization Workshop
Outcome of the workshop:
Farmers expressed that knowledge was increased about
importance of pulse production and consumption for
improved productivity and diet quality.
Best practice shared on pulse production, processing,
preparation and consumption.
Guidance to researchers on areas where project could be
strengthened
Training on the nutritional importance of pulses and preparation
methods for diet enrichment
Nutrition research such as recipe development and testing

15. Concerns
about
Reducing
Women's
Burden

16. Poem on benefits
Of haricot beans

17. Micronutrient levels of
commonly consumed dishes
Household food processing for improved
micronutrient intake; sensory analysis & consumer
acceptability studies
Effect of post harvest practices
Nutrient and anti nutrient content analysis of
chickpea varieties (local desi, improved desi:
Mestewal and improved kabuli: Habru )
Analysis of functional, physicochemical and
cooking characteristics of three chickpea varieties

18. Studies: Biobioavailability and mineral
content of chickpea and bean based
dishes
Methods: Application of household food processing
treatments (soaking at 12, 24 and 48 hours and
germination at 24, 48 and 72hours)
Results: Mineral content (zinc, iron, calcium ) of chickpea
and bean based dishes were well retained in most of the
commonly consumed dishes with various treatments
Germination no longer a common practice
Implications: greater nutritional value; this may lead to
improved micronutrient status especially among women
and children

19. Studies contd.
Method: application of
germination in
complementary food
preparation (maize and bean)
Result: processed products
showed significant reduction
of phytate (p= 0.001)
No significant difference in
sensory attributes of porridge
samples (36 mother- child
pairs)

20. Studies contd.
Acceptability studies
(Chickpea)
Method: application of
roasting and boiling
Result: There was no
significance difference in
appearance, taste, texture ,
and the overall
acceptability of dishes
prepared from improved
chickpea varieties
compared to local varieties

21. Studies: Advocating More Pulses
in the Diet
Nutrition intervention:
Farmers training;
intervention effect (KAB)-
improvement of diet
(product development)
Involvement of
Male farmers

22. Nutrition Education Tool - Conversation Map

23. Capacity Building
• Student-Faculty led research & extension in study sites
• Several piloted studies on production, processing, nutrition
• Carried out jointly by HU & UofS
• Joint PhD in Agriculture (initially)
• UofS - PhD Nutrition
• HU - Applied MSc
• Participatory community engagement approach
• e.g. farmers training/field days
• Collaboration with research & development partners
• public-private partnership)
• Fostering local initiatives
• Increasing links to agriculture-nutrition-health
• e.g. University, Health Care

25. What Have We Learned?
• We have learned a lot from our baseline & other studies
– Practice of double cropping and crop rotation for increased
production and higher nutrition quality
– Pulses a population tool for micronutrient deficiency
reduction and non-communicable diseases
– Integrating nutrition education & training, with pulses
production improve dietary diversity & health benefits
– Market can be used as a driver for food & nutrition security
– income, crop choice and diet diversity effect
– Need for policy strategies that leads to advocacy -stress
pulses production & consumption

26. Next Steps
Evaluate outcomes of current nutrition
interventions and scale up positive outcomes
Select household-based food processing method
yielding better bioavailable nutrients
Improve the positive effect of market on nutrition while
mitigating its effect on nutrient depletion
Engage farmers in discussions about cooperatives for
improve bargaining power to get high share in price for
their commodities

27. Thank You
CIFSRF TEAM (agriculture, nutrition, food science,
gender, marketing/value chain, sociology)
University of Saskatchewan
Hawassa University
Regional Agriculture and Health Bureaus
NGOs
Graduate students
Farmers & farming households
Funders –IDRC/DFATD