A tool to fight malnutrition - Neglected & underutilized species

A whole genre of foods have the potential to address a major issue plaguing the nation – if only we can pay some more attention to them

Hyderabad/ New York: A low key but significant experiment is underway in Andhra Pradesh. Under the leadership of Sri Parinaidu and his team at Jattu Trust, the village of Totapalli, Vizainagaram district has identified to grow 25 tubor plants and 41 leafy vegetables that are used by the native population of the local area. All these fall under the NUS category – the quiet cousin of the food world also known as Neglected and Underutilized Species. This experiment may be THE solution to the national challenge of malnutrition the country is facing.

UNICEF's recent Rapid Survey on Children (RSOC) shows that India has still about 30% of children under five years that are malnourished. The malnutrition problem in India is worse than some parts of Africa. Percentages may change with the definitions and statistical methods, but malnutrition is still a big problem in India. India’s progress in rocket science and DNA recombinant technology begs the question as to why as a nation we are not able to make the progress in malnutrition front.

While traditional methods continue to be deployed to tackle malnutrition what is needed is a new approach to fight malnutrition. 'Food as medicine' is the new mantra in the world to treat chronic diseases. Chronic diseases account for over 50 million deaths worldwide and several billions of dollars in health care expenditure. Researchers point out that even when food is available 'poor monotonous foods low in quantity, quality and lack of dietary diversity of foods' is often a major contributor of malnutrition. According to Rome-based Biodiversity International, of the 30,000 edible plant species identified only 7,000 are used as food source in human history. At present no more than 150 species worldwide are cultivated commercially.

The shocking news is only four species - rice, wheat, maize and potato - account for 60% of the human energy supply. Generation after generation, we are making our food choices narrower and narrower. This trend has relegated a vast number of plants as "Neglected and Underutilized Species" (NUS). These are the species that are ignored by scientific community, traditional medicine practitioners, plant breeders, policy makers and eventually by farmers. Due to this neglect not only the species but also the traditional knowledge about their cultivation and uses are being lost. It is time the world woke up to using NUS as a new tool and fight malnutrition. This is particularly true for India which can boast of a huge bio-diversity and in turn food diversity. Of the different categories of foods, millets, roots, tubers and leafy vegetables are the most neglected ones. The nutritional value of millets such as Proso, Foxtail, Pearl, Finger, Kodo, Little and Barnyard millets are comparable or better than rice or wheat. Their glycemic index is lower than rice and can help diabetics to control their blood sugar levels. Tubers, roots and leafy vegetables have higher mineral values.

Besides the human development and well-being side of the argument there is a big economic argument to be made. If the useful NUS are cultivated and markets are created for them they can boost local economies and simultaneously be effective tools to fight poverty. India produced 121 million tons of vegetables in 2013 according to FAO. Even if the NUS are encouraged to produce 10% of the total, it will be 12 million tons per year. At Rs 30 a kilogram retail price, for the NUS produce, we are looking at Rs.36, 000 crore market. Most of it will be local businesses involving low income groups and women in tribal areas. India’s 104 million tribal communities with 54% of malnourished children can be direct beneficiaries.

It is common knowledge that the energy and the calories are derived from our day-to-day foods. It is the macronutrients in the form of carbohydrates, proteins and fats that provide us these calories. Other nutrients that are required in smaller quantities are micronutrients. These are the quintessential minerals and vitamins that the body needs. Micronutrient deficiency can be attributed to a huge percentage of malnutrition cases. Micronutrients are the "magic wands" that enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances essential for proper growth and development. However, the consequences of the absence of micronutrients like Iodine, Vitamin A and Iron are severe. Micronutrient deficiency that leads to malnutrition affects around 2 billion people globally according to Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, particularly hurting children and pregnant women in low-income countries. .

"My daughter is sick and I have stay home to take care of her and take her to doctor "is a routine answer form Kesubu, a tribal farmer in Araku valley, Visakhapatnam. This is a common refrain from millions of individuals whose lives are directly and indirectly affected by the malady of malnutrition! Malnutrition not only leads to poor physical growth but also the cause lowered mental capacities, reduced productivity. It causes a 10% loss of productivity of lifetime earning of a person results in Gross Domestic product losses of up to 6% of the nation. Mortality, morbidity and economic losses due to malnutrition are preventable. Therefore investing in reducing malnutrition is not just a moral imperative but also an economic necessity.

Dr Stefano Padulosi's team at Biodiversity International analyzed and presented the needs, challenges and the way forward to use NUS to fight poverty and malnutrition. The team feels that changing the perception of NUS as "poor man's food" and developing capacity in research, promoting mass education, is vital for NUS to be embraced by the mainstream. On the market side, supply chains have to be developed and value-added products have to be developed. Involving the full range of stakeholders in participatory partnerships [especially rural women and undeserved populations] to promote and conserve NUS while putting in place policy and legal frameworks and creating financial incentives can really change the future of NUS.

Many ideas have been tested and implemented with varying degrees of success to tackle the malnutrition issue. Going back to the experiment in Parvatipuram – if this gets replicated nationally and more and more people in other parts of India start identifying the NUS, it may turn out to be the game-changer that India needs. For a nation that is severely in need of such resources, tapping this abundant existing resource makes a lot of sense. It makes greater sense when you realize that this can tackle a fundamental problem of the nation and can help us make strides as a healthy nation and nurture a stronger economy.

(Dr Srinivasa Rao is a bio-tech scientist and social entrepreneur promoting new ideas to improve public health and nutrition. Venkatesh Raghavendra is with the American India Foundation that is disrupting poverty through innovative initiatives in several fields including the public health arena. )