Global Legume Researchers

Meeting

Achieving Concurrent
Agricultural Productivity and
Nutrition Goals Through
Research
Patrick Webb
Feed the Future Nutrition Innovation Lab
1

Twin pillars of USAID Feed the Future:

Accelerate agriculture growth through
improved
agricultural productivity, expanded markets
and trade
in vulnerable areas.
Improve nutritional status of individuals
through
access to diverse quality foods and by
strengthening
prevention/treatment of undernutrition.

Lancet Series 2013

Undernutrition in all its forms is
responsible for 45% of all under five
child deaths, representing more than 3
million deaths each year.
160 million children <5 years of age still
stunted.

Source: Black et al. (2013) Lancet series II

3

But, thats only a 20% reduction,

leaving 80% of the problem to be solved!
Recent global average rate of reduction
in stunting has been -2.1% per year.
But in 34 countries with highest rates of
stunting average was just -1.7% per
year.

Cowpea enriched porridge

provides
another opportunity for value
addition
that can significantly improve
infant
and child nutrition.
USAID RFP March 2013

WFP NUTRITION POL

(January 2012)
The traditional food basket contains
a cereal, pulses, oil, salt and a
fortified blended food.

10

Developing country legume/pulse net

supply
Developin
g country
production

2012

2009

1998

1985

1975

1961

Tonnes

Yes, we need research on how

3 to promote higher, better,
more resilient, sustained levels
1
of legume production!

Source: FAOSTAT 11

Higher calorie intake has improved nutrition and health

CGIAR (1996) Annual Report 1995-96

Merely producing more food does not

ensure food security or improved nutrition.
(Herforth (2012) World Bank)

Agriculture interventions do not always

contribute to positive nutritional outcomes.
(FAO 2012)

Cultivar
selection,
breeding
Multiplicat
ion,
marketing

Farm
adoption

Upstream
Agronomy
Improved
nutrition
Household
income

MidstreamImproved
nutrient
Value-chainsupply
Household
consumpti
on

Downstream
Nutrition

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Net
return/day
of labor
X3

Net rise
in real
income
13%/hh

10% rise in
calories =
2.4% fall in
undernutritio
n
10% income
rise = 4.8%
rise in
calorie
supply

Higher
productivit
y

Higher
income,
consumption

Higher
labor and
inputs

Child nutrition
improved
(but less than
expected)

New
crop

Source: von Braun et al. (1989)

Neglected biological mechanisms

Uses of
Opportunity Potential
income
costs of
Potential
Income
from
time
Nutrition
Confound agriculture
Entry
ers
Gendered Confound
barriers
ers
Antinutrie
control of
(participati
nts
income
on)

16

Mycotoxins and legumes

Biochemical analysis presented that Aspergillus
flavus and Fusarium oxysporum decreased
protein content, carbohydrates, fat, fibers
and ash compared with un-infected legume
seeds.
Embaby and Abdel-Galil (2006) Jou. Applied Sci. Res.

A majority of observational studies has found

strong associations between aflatoxin
exposure and stunted fetal, infant, and child
growth.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/readers/2011/01/18/pnutsd1b_1.jpg

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Leroy (2013) IFPRI

Iron absorption studies:

Rwandan women with low iron status.
Human iron absorption from beans high in
Iron
polyphenols
absorbed from
27%biofortified
lower (P<0.01)
beans
thanno
in from
higher
low polyphenol
than normal
beans.
beans: indicating that
efficacious iron biofortification may be difficult to

achieve
i.e. iron
in absorption
beans rich from
in [phytates
low polyphenol
and
beans =
polyphenols].
4.7% Absorption from high polyphenol beans =
3.4%.

Source: Petry et al. (2012) Common Bean Has Limited

Potential as a Vehicle for Iron Biofortification (Jou. Nu

Source: Maredia 2012

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Source: Maredia 2012

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Conclusions
1. Yes, legumes can support improved nutrition.
But legume researchers need to help empirically
demonstrate it.
2. We all need more honesty about feasible
contributions to nutrition, and rigor
(appropriate study designs/methods).
3. More explicit logical framework and value-chain
analyses needed to identify most cost-effective
contributions of legumes to nutrition.
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