Farming for Balanced Nutrition: An Agricultural Approach to Addressing Micronutrient Deficiency Among the Vulnerable Poor in Africa (Report‪)‬

INTRODUCTION Human under-nutrition may be caused by insufficient calorie intake to supply the energy required to meet daily work and social demands, insufficient protein to build body mass and/or an inadequate supply of micronutrients [1]. In some cases, where basic energy and protein requirements are met, diet quality may remain poor due to deficiencies of vitamins and minerals [2]. Diet-related health problems have become common in developed countries due to over-consumption of meat and fats and this is now being seen in urban populations in developing countries [3,4], as well as among the rural poor [5]. However, consumption of meat and dairy products is limited among the rural poor, who depend heavily on starchy staples. The linking factor between all three groups (rural poor and middle class in developing countries and urban populations in developed countries) is that they do not have a sufficiently high proportion of fruits and non-starchy vegetables in their diet. These foods are high in trace elements and vitamins and insufficient dietary intake of these, leads to symptoms of micronutrient deficiency, such as slow growth in children, anaemia and poor eyesight. Over-reliance on cereal crops low in iron, zinc and vitamin A, is the cause of widespread deficiency of these micronutrients in rural populations in developing countries.