The nutritional quality of cereals varies geospatially in Ethiopia and Malawi.

Autor: Gashu D; Centre for Food Science and Nutrition, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia., Nalivata PC; Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi., Amede T; International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia., Ander EL; Centre for Environmental Geochemistry, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, UK., Bailey EH; School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK., Botoman L; Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi.; The Department of Agricultural Research Services, Lilongwe, Malawi., Chagumaira C; Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi.; School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK.; Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK.; Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK., Gameda S; International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia., Haefele SM; Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK., Hailu K; Centre for Food Science and Nutrition, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.; Department of Food Science and Applied Nutrition, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia., Joy EJM; Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK., Kalimbira AA; Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi., Kumssa DB; School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK., Lark RM; School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK.; Future Food Beacon, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK., Ligowe IS; Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Lilongwe, Malawi.; The Department of Agricultural Research Services, Lilongwe, Malawi., McGrath SP; Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK., Milne AE; Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK., Mossa AW; School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK., Munthali M; The Department of Agricultural Research Services, Lilongwe, Malawi., Towett EK; World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Nairobi, Kenya., Walsh MG; Africa Soil Information Service, Selian Agricultural Research Institute, Arusha, Tanzania., Wilson L; School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK., Young SD; School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK., Broadley MR; School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK. martin.broadley@nottingham.ac.uk.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Nature [Nature] 2021 Jun; Vol. 594 (7861), pp. 71-76. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 May 19.
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03559-3
Abstrakt: Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) remain widespread among people in sub-Saharan Africa 1-5 , where access to sufficient food from plant and animal sources that is rich in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) is limited due to socioeconomic and geographical reasons 4-6 . Here we report the micronutrient composition (calcium, iron, selenium and zinc) of staple cereal grains for most of the cereal production areas in Ethiopia and Malawi. We show that there is geospatial variation in the composition of micronutrients that is nutritionally important at subnational scales. Soil and environmental covariates of grain micronutrient concentrations included soil pH, soil organic matter, temperature, rainfall and topography, which were specific to micronutrient and crop type. For rural households consuming locally sourced food-including many smallholder farming communities-the location of residence can be the largest influencing factor in determining the dietary intake of micronutrients from cereals. Positive relationships between the concentration of selenium in grain and biomarkers of selenium dietary status occur in both countries. Surveillance of MNDs on the basis of biomarkers of status and dietary intakes from national- and regional-scale food-composition data 1-7 could be improved using subnational data on the composition of grain micronutrients. Beyond dietary diversification, interventions to alleviate MNDs, such as food fortification 8,9 and biofortification to increase the micronutrient concentrations in crops 10,11 , should account for geographical effects that can be larger in magnitude than intervention outcomes.
Databáze: MEDLINE
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