The Building Nutritious Food Baskets: Scaling up Biofortified Crops for Nutrition Security seeks to reduce hidden hunger by catalyzing sustainable investment Building for the production and utilization of biofortified crops (Orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP); vitamin A (yellow) cassava, vitamin A (orange) maize and high iron/zinc beans) Nutritious Food at scale. The project is implemented in Nigeria and Tanzania, to demonstrate how biofortified crops can be scaled up through a multi-crop (“food basket”) approach. Baskets Project BNFB draws on complementary expertise for scaling up through a partnership between CGIAR centers and programs, regional organizations and other public and private sector agencies to create a movement that will eventually reach the target populations. BNFB’s hypothesis is that scaling up is dependent on supportive policy environment, strong institutional capacities and availability of proven technologies. The Building Nutritious Food Baskets Project ‘Insights from the Field’ © International Potato Center, Lima, Perú, 2018 ISBN: 978-92-9060-505-8 DOI: 10.4160/9789290605058 CIP publications contribute important development information to the public arena. Readers are encouraged to quote or reproduce material from them in their own publications. As copyright holder CIP requests acknowledgement and a copy of the publication where the citation or material appears. Please send a copy to the Communications Department at the address below. International Potato Center P.O. Box 1558, Lima 12, Peru cip@cgiar.org • www.cipotato.org Produced by International Potato Center (CIP) CIP thanks Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for funding the production of this manual. Correct citation: CIP also thanks all donors and organizations which globally support its work through Mulongo, G.; Maru, J.; Munyua, H.; Kasuga, R.; Olapeju, P.; Wende, M.; their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund. https://www.cgiar.org/funders/ Rubyogo, J.C.; Gethi, J. 2018. The Building Nutritious Food Baskets Project Copyright 2018 © International Potato Center. All rights reserved. ‘Insights from the Field’. International Potato Center (CIP), Lima, Peru. 48 p. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/98539 Production Coordinator Joyce Maru This work by the International Potato Center is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Design and Layout To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Permissions Communications Department beyond the scope of this license may be available at: http://www.cipotato.org/contact/ 2 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S Building Nutritious Food Baskets Project C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 3 Preface This booklet is a compilation of insights and success stories two objectives: 1) to strengthen the enabling environment for in- from the field during the implementation of the Building Nutritious vestment and 2) to strengthen institutional and community capa- Food Baskets (BNFB) project; a three-year project (November 2015 bilities. The stories therefore align to the project objectives and cut to October 2018) implemented in Nigeria and Tanzania and funded across advocacy, capacity development and seed systems thematic by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The objective of compiling areas in Nigeria and Tanzania. these insights and success stories is to showcase and highlight BN- Most of the success stories contained in this booklet have been FB’s experiences and interactions with various stakeholders during developed and disseminated during the project implementation implementation, highlight successful partnerships and to provide phase, while others were developed towards the end of the project a ‘human touch’ in narrating the process and how the project was to capture processes that illustrate best practices in scaling up able to deliver results, outcomes and the emerging impact of these nutritious biofortified crops. The booklet tells the story of BNFB’s efforts. successes and emerging impact beyond the project period. The tar- BNFB’s goal was to accelerate and support scaling up of biofortified get audience includes policy makers, development partners, proj- crops for food and nutrition security and to help reduce hidden ect managers, nutritionists and agronomists, extension workers, hunger by catalyzing sustainable investment for the utilization of community development workers, farmers and the general public. biofortified crops (Orange-fleshed sweetpotato, Pro vitamin A (or- ange) maize, high iron and zinc beans and vitamin A (yellow) cassa- Dr Hilda Munyua va) at scale. The project was implemented in Nigeria and Tanzania, Project Manager - Building Nutritious Food Baskets Project (BNFB), to demonstrate how biofortified crops can be scaled up through a International Potato Center - November 2018 multi-crop (“food basket”) approach. The project aimed to achieve 4 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S Acknowledgements The Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) project is ral Management Training Institute (ARMTI), International Maize and grateful to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for supporting and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), International Center for funding the work on Scaling up Biofortified Crops for Nutrition Se- Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), International Institute for Tropical Ag- curity in Nigeria and Tanzania. riculture (IITA), Meru Agro Seed Company, Ministry of Budget and We would like to thank everyone who contributed time, efforts and National planning (MBNP) Nigeria, Prime Ministers’ Office in Tanza- ideas to writing these stories and insights. Invaluable contribution nia, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Part- came from Godfrey Mulongo, Hilda Munyua, Joyce Maru, Jude nership for Nutrition in Tanzania (PANITA), Premier Seed Company Njoku, Olapeju Phorbee, Richard Kasuga, Bevin Bhoke, Omolara Nigeria, Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute - Selian, Tanzania Ogunjimi; Jean Claude Rubyogo, Wende Mengesha, James Gethi, Agricultural Research Institute – Kibaha, Tanzania Food and Nutri- Obey Nkya, Elifatio Towo, Gift Oguzor Buduzhi, Fortunata Mmari, tion Centre (TFNC), Research, Community and Organizational De- Mary Mdachi, Roseline Gabriel, Samson Afolabi and all national velopment Associates (RECODA) and Wanawake Waumini Wakristo biofortification advocates and champions in Nigeria and Tanzania Tanzania among others. We would like to sincerely thank all BNFB partners who contribut- Many thanks to Kellen Kebaara for assisting with the editing of ed and supported the development of these stories and insights. these stories and to the Communications and Public Awareness They include AFCO Investments Company Ltd, Agricultural and Ru- Department of CIP – Lima for designing the booklet. C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 5 Acronyms ADP Agricultural Development Programme CIP International Potato Center ARD Agricultural and Rural Development CMAM Community Management of Acute ARI-Hombolo Agriculture and Research Institute Hombolo Malnutrition ARMTI Agricultural and Rural Management Training FAO Food and Agriculture Organization Institute FARA Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa BNFB Building Nutritious Food Baskets Project HKI Hellen Keller International CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture IITA International Insitute of Tropical Agriculture CIMMYT International Maize and Wheat Improvement NFFA National Food Fortification Alliance Center NMNAP National Multisectoral Nutrition Action Plan 6 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S OFSP Orange Fleshed Sweetpotato TFNC Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre PABRA Pan African Bean Research Alliance ToT Training of Trainers PVA Pro Vitamin A Maize TZS Tanzanian Shilling RAC Reaching Agents of Change UNICEF United Nations International Children’s RIPAT Rural Initiatives for Participatory Agricultural Emergency Fund Transformation USD United States Dollar SRI-Kibaha Sugar Research Insititute Kibaha VAD Vitamin A Deficiency TAG Tanzania Assemblies of God WWK Wanawake Waumini wa Kristu TARI-Kibaha Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute Kibaha C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 7 Partners 8 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S Four Orange-Fleshed Sweetpotato (OFSP) Vines of Contents 28 Gold (Capacity Development for Impact) 31 Vitamin A-rich orange-fleshed sweetpotato adoption is taking shape in Tanzania’s Dodoma and Singida regions 11 Strengthening national institutions for a supportive policy environment for biofortification: 34 Catalyzing processing and marketing of nutritious The case of the Tanzania Food and Nutrition biofortified foods in Tanzania: The case of AFCO Centre Investments Company Ltd 16 Championing policy change and investment for Strengthening private sector capacity to scale up biofortification in Nigeria 36 pro-vitamin A maize production and consumption in Nigeria 19 Championing vitamin A-rich Orange-Fleshed Sweetpotato in Nigeria 39 Fighting iron deficiency through scaling up high iron and zinc beans in Tanzania 22 Religious organizations as change agents in catalyzing availability of orange-fleshed Partnering with the private sector to catalyze the sweetpotato in rural Tanzania 42 availability of pro-vitamin A maize in Tanzania 25 “Take lead – take off” Approach to Capacity 45 School children as change agents for catalyzing Development for Sustainability and Impact: production and consumption of orange-fleshed A success story of the Agricultural and Rural sweetpotato in Dodoma and Singida regions, Management Training Institute in Nigeria Tanzania C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 9 10 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S Strengthening national institutions for a supportive policy environment for biofortification: The case of the Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre Since November 2015, the Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) project has been a partner in changing the lives of rural commu- nities in Tanzania through enabling the implementation of inter- ventions aimed at reducing hidden hunger, also known as micro- nutrient malnutrition. The project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has seen communities in Tanzania adopt and use biofortified crops such as orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP), pro-vitamin A (PVA) maize and high iron and zinc beans. These lo- Dr Elifatio Towo - Director of Food Science and Nutrition Department TFNC. cally available staple crops are rich in the essential micronutrients A Biofortificiation Advocate. (CIP/ R Kasuga) that are useful in dealing with micronutrient deficiency problems among the population, particularly adolescent girls, women of The Tanzania Demographic Health Survey of 2016 places the preva- childbearing age and young children under five years of age in lence of vitamin A deficiency among children aged 6–59 months at both rural and urban areas. 33% and among women of reproductive age at 42%. Ironically, the regions that produce a lot of food have the highest stunting preva- In Tanzania, hidden hunger, which is characterized by a chronic defi- lence, such as Njombe with 49%, Rukwa with 56%, Iringa with 42%, ciency in essential vitamins and minerals, is a major public health con- Ruvuma with 44%, Katavi with 39%, Morogoro with 33%, Kigoma cern. Some 42% of all children under the age of five years suffer from with 38% and Mbeya with 38%. stunting associated with long-term nutritional deprivation. Stunting The BNFB project supports initiatives aimed at reducing hidden is particularly severe among poor, rural and vulnerable populations. hunger by catalyzing sustainable investment for the utilization C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 11 technical committees to discuss policy and nutrition issues; therefore, partnering with it and building its institutional capacity on biofortification have helped to advance the biofortification agenda at the highest tech- nical and policy levels of the government. Dr Vincent Assey, the TFNC Chief Executive Officer, says, BNFB has developed our capacity to make people understand the difference be- tween biofortified crops and genetically modified crops, and now people can fully understand the difference between PVA maize and the other yellow maize. Dr Assey notes that with the capacity that BNFB has provided, TFNC will work towards ensuring that the most vulnerable groups Dr Hussein Mansoor - Director R & D at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Tanzania. are reached in the fight against hidden A Biofortification Advocate (CIP/ R Kasuga) hunger in Tanzania: We have now seen that biofortification of biofortified crops at scale. The project’s change in favor of biofortification. TFNC is is a sure way of tackling the malnutrition scaling up model is based on the hypothe- the technical arm of the government that problem in the country. It can reach a sis that the scaling up of biofortified crops is responsible for coordination of technical lot of people in the rural areas, and that is dependent on the presence of a support- and policy issues and action on nutrition. is why with the knowledge, we shall en- ive policy environment, strong institutional It works closely with the Prime Minister’s deavor to ensure that government poli- capacities and proven technologies. Office, especially the Directorate of Nutri- cies include biofortification not only on In Tanzania, the project has partnered with tion, and has convening powers to bring paper but also in implementation. institutions such as the Tanzania Food and together technical actors from different Prior to the launching of the BNFB project, Nutrition Centre (TFNC) to catalyze policy sectors. TFNC is responsible for hosting TFNC concentrated on commercial food 12 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S fortification and vitamin A supplementation. Although these strat- BNFB’s efforts in advocacy and collaborative capacity building egies have attained commendable results, several challenges limit have resulted in biofortification becoming entrenched in TFNC’s their reach among people living in rural areas, particularly relating draft five-year strategic plan for 2018–2022 and the National Mul- to their need for enhanced infrastructure, critical mass awareness, tisectoral Nutrition Action Plan (NMNAP), which is Tanzania’s five- affordability of the foods enriched with the supplements, availabil- year strategy for tackling malnutrition. TFNC is the secretariat of ity of a vibrant manufacturing sector and access to markets. the National Food Fortification Alliance (NFFA), which coordinates The introduction of biofortification in Tanzania was seen by food the issues on vitamin A, iron-folic supplementation, food fortifi- and nutrition experts as an innovative and alternative way of de- cation, salt iodation, and micronutrient powder supplementation livering essential micronutrients to the rural populations in a for children aged 6–23 months. The rationale for entrenching bio- cost-effective manner. Tanzania was one of the five countries that fortification in policy documents and strategies is to ensure the implemented the Reaching Agents of Change (RAC) project over adoption of a holistic approach to addressing hidden hunger such 2011–2015 that advocated for increased investment in OFSP to that complementary efforts are given equal status and stakehold- combat vitamin A deficiency among young children and women of ers continue to speak with one voice. TFNC partnered with BNFB reproductive age. The BNFB project builds on the successes of the to host a meeting on 29 June 2017 in Dar es Salaam that brought RAC project by broadening the scope and adopting a food basket together members of NFFA. The participants, drawn from the pub- approach to provide multiple micronutrients. lic and private sectors, academia, nongovernmental organizations, and multisectoral and bilateral organizations, discussed the revised draft terms of reference for fortification and agreed to incorporate biofortification, in addition to industrial fortification and supple- mentation, as a key component of NFFA. One of the immediate achievements of the NFFA event was the in- clusion of biofortification as a key agenda item during the National Summit on Food Fortification Summit that took place in Dar es Sa- laam on 23–24 August 2017 and was attended by among others, Vice President Samia Suluhu Hassan. Her speech singled out biofor- tification as crucial in addressing nutrition issues and pointed to the strong government commitment to fortification as a sustainable approach to addressing the problem of micronutrient malnutrition Advocacy to Tanzania Parliamentary Committe on Nutrition (PANITA) in Tanzania. Also present was the Deputy Minister in the President’s C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 13 Office-Regional Administration and Local Government, who com- mitted to doubling the government’s budgetary spending on nu- trition from the USD 0.25 per child in the 2016/17 financial year to USD 0.50 in 2017/18, with the aim of gradually moving Tanzania towards achieving the World Bank’s goal of USD 8 by 2030. In collaboration with other nutrition stakeholders, TFNC is devel- oping guidelines on micronutrients and an in-service training curriculum for community health workers. In addition, the center is working with the Ministry of Education in developing school feeding guidelines and reviewing the maternal, infant and ado- lescent nutrition guidelines. BNFB continues to be a key partner in this agenda to ensure that biofortification is well mainstreamed in those guidelines for the sustainability of the biofortification agen- da in Tanzania. BNFB Advocacy in Tanzania (CIP/ J Maru) BNFB has partnered with TFNC to train change agents on biofor- tification, thus improving their knowledge and awareness about tion was one of the most affordable and cost-effective ways of de- biofortification. That kind of partnership enabled TFNC to run its livering micronutrients to the poor population. first training on PVA maize in March 2017 in Iringa, where 20 agri- Dr Elifatio Towo, who has worked in the Department of Food Sci- cultural and nutrition cadres were trained on biofortification. Agri- ence and Nutrition since 1991 where he coordinates all food sci- cultural staff were considered for the training owing to their first- ence and nutrition programs, says that as the director in the de- hand interaction with farmers as well as their role in information partment, he recognizes that the BFNB project has made a big and awareness creation. BNFB and TFNC have continued to partner contribution in catalyzing and complementing the government’s in promoting increased production and use of OFSP to combat vi- interventions on combating micronutrient malnutrition among its tamin A deficiency in Tanzania alongside the promotion of the pro- populations. He had this to say: duction and utilization of high iron and zinc beans. A beneficiary of Through the support from BNFB we have been able to mobilize the training, Celestine Mugoba, who is a senior research scientist at stakeholders and provide them with the capacity to enable them TFNC, had to say: to understand the benefits of locally available biofortified crops. I did not know about PVA maize or high iron and zinc rich beans, For us at TFNC, BFNB has enabled us to gain wide knowledge and but through the BNFB project, I came to realize that biofortifica- experience on biofortification. Besides strengthening the capacity 14 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S of TFNC, the project has co-supported initiatives aimed at aligning Through collaborating with TFNC, BNFB is working with relevant biofortification with current legislations. We shall work towards institutions such as the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Edu- ensuring that citizens, especially the rural poor, have access to cation Science and Technology, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Pres- biofortified foods for better nutrition and health. ident’s Office, the regional administration and the local government Mr Obey Nkya, the Director of Government Business in the Prime to expedite the implementation of two key result areas in biofortifi- Ministers’ Office, admits that there has been some general accep- cation stipulated in the NMNAP document. tance of biofortified crops by the government: The future of biofortification in Tanzania is bright; however, several “We have seen acceptance of the biofortification intervention by the challenges need to be addressed as part of the initiatives aimed government and we have also seen the BNFB project supporting the at facilitating the uptake of biofortified crops. TFNC says that the rollout of PVA maize products through private sector support.” release of the various varieties of biofortified crops has been a slow According to Mr Obey, the project has been able to create a space process, PVA maize seeds are not yet in the market for farmers’ ac- for stakeholders to discuss biofortification. cess, and high iron and zinc beans have not reached farmers yet. Moreover, the climbing beans introduced by the BNFB project are a source of extra work and costs for farmers since they need stak- ing poles for support. That is a challenge to farmers accustomed to bush bean varieties. TFNC recommends that demonstration plots be established in various regions to be managed by biofortification champions and extension agents. This will ensure that farmers get the right infor- mation and easy access to seeds of appropriate biofortified vari- eties. Continuous awareness creation and sensitization are key to reach the target populations and ensure that the biofortification momentum is maintained. “We need demonstration plots especially for beans. We also need village based agricultural advisors to be selected to be champions of biofortification,” says Celestine Mugoba. Showcasing Biofortifed Food Products (CIP/ R Kasuga) C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 15 Championing policy change and investment for biofortification in Nigeria Mrs Roseline Gabriel, Assistant Director of Nutrition at the Federal Minister of Budget and National Planning is a champion for bio- fortification under the Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) project. Mrs Gabriel first heard about the project in 2015, when the project team visited her office to introduce it to her ministry: I was extremely impressed with the project model and goal. The Nigeria National project aims at reducing hidden hunger in Nigeria. Nutrition is- Advocates for sues fall under my docket, so the project was a natural fit for me. Biofortification Later in 2016, BNFB’s senior country coordinator approached me Since then, Mrs Gabriel has participated in the project’s capacity with a request to consider a voluntary role as an advocate and enhancement retreats organized for all the country advocates to champion for biofortification on the project. Some of the tasks equip them with the skills and tools for advocacy. Among the tools for the country advocates were to promote biofortified crops, in- provided were factsheets on biofortification, banners, T-shirts and fluence the creation of a conducive policy environment for these other promotional merchandise. With her enhanced capacity, Mrs crops and foods and assist in fundraising efforts in support of bio- Gabriel has focused as a priority on influencing the inclusion of bio- fortification. Although the mandate was challenging, I accepted fortification in policy documents such as the draft Nigerian Food the role unreservedly. and Nutrition Strategic Plan of Action 2016. The inclusion of bio- fortification in the plan was not easily achieved; it entailed a lot of negotiation, education and countless deliberations. 16 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S In Nigeria, BNFB is working with 32 advocates as champions for biofortification. Because of their support, the project has influ- enced the inclusion of biofortification in at least four key policy or strategic documents and a draft policy brief. These documents are the Nigerian Food and Nutrition Policy (2016–2020), the draft Ni- gerian Food and Nutrition Strategic Plan of Action, the Agricultur- al Sector Food Security and Nutrition Strategy (2016–2025) of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, and a draft national advocacy policy brief prepared by the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning. In addition, biofortified crops such as orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) were included in the nation- al home-grown school feeding program in Osun, Abia and Cross BNFB Advocacy Efforts in Nigeria (Isiaka) River states in the first quarter of 2017, and over 5,000 households in Rivers and Abia states are now consuming biofortified crops advocates have made tremendous impact in promoting biofor- while other like Oyo states are following suit. Some renowned in- tified crops in their various areas of influence and commendable stitutions like the University College Hospital in Ibadan, Oyo state, progress has been recorded. Additionally, they have outstanding have adopted OFSP in the menu for inpatients with diabetic or oth- results in sensitizing key actors, who have been able to raise invest- er ailments. ments for biofortification in many states of Nigeria. For instance, Another of the BNFB project objectives is to strengthen institution- Mrs Clementina Okoro, the State Nutrition Officer with the Primary al and community capacity to scale up biofortified crops through Health Care Board of the Federal Capital Territory, has been sen- training of targeted trainers and awareness creation through be- sitizing her community and creating awareness among them on havioral change communication. The trained advocates play an biofortification. Her efforts have seen biofortified crops included in important role in ensuring that this objective is achieved. The the program of the Community Management of Acute Malnutri- C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 17 tion (CMAM) centre in Kwali Area Council. After receiving advocacy training from BNFB, Mrs Okoro worked to get the buy-in of relevant decision-makers to include biofortification in CMAM. Mrs Okoro indicates that she took advantage of the establishment of a new CMAM center by UNICEF. She was able to convince the stakehold- ers to see the complementary nature of the food-based approach in the management of micronutrient malnutrition, emphasizing the need for households, especially for children under five years of age, to access and consume biofortified crops produced in kitch- en gardens or for income generation, which requires that they be processed and marketed. Mrs Okoro also got the commitment of Variety with high Variety with UNICEF and her agency to support the sensitization event for rel- micronutrient value desirable agronomic evant stakeholders within the area council, which 69 men and 47 qualities (high women attended, including traditional leaders and representatives yield, drought resistant,etc.) from all the 10 wards in the council. Through the efforts of such advocates, biofortification is becom- ing accepted in Nigeria, and biofortified crops have reached about 938,060 rural consumers who otherwise would have had limited access to industrially fortified foods and supplementation inter- ventions. Biofortification is the process of increasing the nutritional value of food crops by increasing the density of vitamins and minerals in Multiple generations crops through either conventional plant breeding or biotechnology. of breeding produce new biofortified variety with best traits of parent varieties 18 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S Championing vitamin A-rich Orange- Fleshed Sweetpotato in Nigeria Micronutrient malnutrition is widespread in Nigeria, particularly vitamin A deficiency, which affects at least 30% of the population. Women of reproductive age, infants and young children mostly are vulnerable to micronutrient malnutrition. Many of them suffer mul- tiple deficiencies of essential micronutrients such as vitamin A, iron and zinc, which can result in an array of health problems and even early death. Most of the people affected by micronutrient malnu- trition do not show the physical symptoms usually associated with malnourishment, hence the deficiency is commonly referred to as Gift during one of his advocacy ‘hidden hunger’. campaigns in Rivers State Nigeria, together with partners such as the Building Nutritious Food As a community nutritionist and advocate of quality nutrition, I Baskets Project (BNFB), is using innovative approaches to tackle feel that integrating OFSP in my work has really helped me to sup- hidden hunger. Gift Buduzhi Oguzor, a community nutritionist, is ply a safe, micronutrient-dense food and to ultimately contribute leading one such effort, championing efforts to scale up nutritious, to reducing hidden hunger in my country. OFSP is a sustainable vitamin A rich orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) in Rivers state. and cost-effective way of addressing vitamin A deficiency espe- Gift was among the beneficiaries of a 10-day training of trainers cially in children and women of reproductive age. Working with (ToT) course on ‘Everything you ever wanted to know about sweet- various stakeholders to develop their capacity and increase nutri- potato’, supported by BNFB, that occurred in March 2017. The tional knowledge has helped stimulate action relating to produc- course was organized and hosted by the Agricultural and Rural tion and consumption of OFSP in Nigeria. (Gift Buduzhi Oguzor) C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 19 Management Training Institute (ARMTI), in Ilorin. ARMTI has part- nered with the International Potato Center (CIP) since 2012, first through the Reaching Agents of Change (RAC) Project, then the Jumpstarting OFSP through Diversified Markets in West Africa Proj- ect and most recently BNFB. The course adopts adult learning methodology emphasizing learn- ing by doing and discovery. It covers 14 topics on the sweetpotato value chain, including production, utilization and investment. Gift’s accomplishments in promoting OFSP are facilitated by the model BNFB adopts to reach a critical mass of farmers producing and consuming OFSP. In Nigeria, BNFB’s cascading model for ca- pacity development involves having primary facilitators at ARMTI train agricultural, nutrition, health, marketing, and gender experts. These experts then become the secondary facilitators, and they, in turn, facilitate a shorter and contextualized step-down course to different target audiences, and these become the tertiary facilita- tors. This approach continues until the trainers reach the end-users in their communities. Gift’s training equipped him to be a secondary facilitator and a cham- pion for OFSP in Rivers state. He has shared his skills and knowledge with extension workers, food processors, farmers and other stake- holders in the sweetpotato value chain for wide impact. By March 2018, he had reached more than 275 agents of change with training, with little support from BNFB. Consequently, more than 1500 house- holds are now growing and accessing OFSP. The area covered by OFSP currently is over 7 hectares in Rivers and Bayelsa states. Some of the farmers cultivating it include the special adviser to Rivers state Gift’s work in promoting OFSP in River State is instrumental in fighting governor, who is growing OFSP on his farm —3 plots of about 100 m micronutrient malnutrition, particularly vitamin A deficiency by 50 m —and intends to increase this investment. 20 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S Gift’s other role as one of the national advocates for biofortification production, processing, utilization and value addition of OFSP, and has seen him benefit from various capacity strengthening initia- promoted its adoption, acceptance and consumption. tives to enhance his skills in advocacy for policy engagement, in The huge impact of Gift’s work extends beyond his home state of raising new investment for OFSP and in promoting the nutritious Rivers to other BNFB pilot states like Enugu, Kogi, Ogun and Taraba. food basket of biofortified crops as a solution to hidden hunger. His His achievements demonstrate the emerging impact and sustain- advocacy and awareness creation efforts have inspired other ac- ability of RAC and BNFB’s objectives. The approach of using nation- tors in the OFSP value chain. For example, some retail outlets such al advocates like Gift has been vital in the creation of a favorable as SPAR supermarket and Fruit Garden market in Port Harcourt policy environment, the raising of new investment to support bio- are stocking and promoting consumption of OFSP. This improved fortification programs and initiatives, and the scaling up of biofor- OFSP access has increased its demand and so more of it is being tification. All these are essential in addressing vitamin A deficiency produced. Some actors are processing for sale OFSP products such among young children, women of reproductive age and men. as juice, bread, doughnuts, cookies, chin-chin (a fried snack made of wheat flour and OFSP puree dough) etc. In addition, biofortifi- Gift’s efforts demonstrate that institutional and community capa- cation in now included in Rivers state’s food and nutrition policy bilities have been strengthened for the production and consump- and OFSP has been added to the menu of the Home-Grown School tion of OFSP. The aim is to ultimately have an adequate number Feeding Program, which is in the process of implementation. of passionate and committed agents of change who can organize themselves to drive their own agenda, mainstream biofortified Gift is involved also in organizing and hosting media campaigns. crops into their ongoing programs and activities. These agents With support from the Director of Extension Services in Agricul- will also continue to pass down the skills they acquire to the OFSP ture Development Program, Rivers state, he has worked with Riv- end-users, who are the smallholder farmers, small and medium ers State Television to create awareness among households on the processors, and marketers. Solo Gold - a new OFSP variety recently released in Nigeria (CIP/ J Maru) C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 21 Religious organizations as change agents in catalyzing availability of orange-fleshed sweetpotato in rural Tanzania Many households in Ihula, Irindi, Mahenge, Mbigili, Mbuyuni and Ruaha villages in Iringa region of Tanzania have been mobilized to produce and consume orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) for im- proved health and wealth. These efforts are being championed by a religious women group known as Wanawake Waumini wa Kristu (WWK) under the leadership of Tanzania Assemblies of God (TAG) WWK OFSP Farmers church. at SemiArid Mbuyuni - Iringa Region Tanzania Iringa is one of Tanzania’s regions hardest hit by hidden hunger, which is characterized by chronic deficiency in essential vitamins The need to tackle these high levels of malnutrition and stunt- and minerals. The Tanzania Demographic Health Survey of 2016 ing, which mostly affect vulnerable groups especially women and indicates that the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is at children, motivated WWK to seek nutrition training and financial 33% for children aged 6–59 months and 42% for women of repro- support from the Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) project. ductive age. Ironically, the food basket regions of Tanzania, that These communities in Iringa have consequently benefited from is where the most food is produced, report the highest levels of BNFB project’s capacity development interventions, resulting in in- stunting and malnutrition. For example stunting prevalence stands creased OFSP production, consumption and incomes in the region: at 56% in Rukwa, 49% in Njombe, 44% in Ruvuma, 42% in Iringa, So far we can say that after BNFB’s financial and material support, 39% in Katavi, 38% in Kigoma and Mbeya and 33% in Morogoro. we are on the right track in the implementation of interventions 22 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S that have seen our communities adopt, produce and consume OFSP (Mrs Margaret Ringo, TAG secretary) Through BNFB support, the women groups in Iringa have imple- mented up to 30 OFSP activities including OFSP production and agronomy, value addition and processing, awareness creation, pro- motion and community mobilization. We have moved from solely depending on maize as a staple food and are now integrating the nutritious OFSP into our diets. We are also accelerating the production of OFSP and ensuring that all women in these villages cultivate OFSP and include it as part of the family meals (Mrs Mrima, a WWK leader) The WWK story began in March 2017 when Mrs Ringo attended a BNFB training of trainers event on OFSP in Babati, Tanzania. After the training, which covered OFSP production, value addition and processing, Mrs Ringo was inspired to introduce and mainstream the nutritious crop among the agricultural and nutrition activities of TAG, working through WWK. She felt that it was important for TAG to undertake community development interventions instead of focusing solely on spiritual nourishment of members. There was need for a holistic intervention aiming to transform the communi- WWK Women Groups -Iringa Tanzani (WWK) ties and church members spiritually, mentally and physically. WWK 20 villages in Iringa, starting with 2 villages in the first phase that sought to venture into interventions that would directly impact the was to run October 2017–January 2018. These two pilot villages larger community in the areas of poverty reduction and food and are in Ruaha Mbuyuni and Ilula divisions and are located along the nutrition security. Mrs Ringo believed that biofortification, using Morogoro–Iringa main trunk road. The areas are mainly semi-arid OFSP as an entry point, provided a sustainable and cost-effective with unimodal rainfall, are prone to frequent shortages of food and opportunity for the rural populations. are characterized by severe micronutrient malnutrition, serious Mrs Ringo submitted a concept note to BNFB seeking financial and stunting and chronic anemia among children under five, pregnant technical support that would help introduce OFSP incrementally in women and women of reproductive age. Ruaha Mbuyuni and Ilula C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 23 divisions were selected because with irrigation they had the po- the vines and sold them to my neighbors, earning TZS 150,000 tential for bumper crop harvests and easy production of sweetpo- (about USD 70). I have also harvested OFSP roots, packed them tato vines for planting in the other earmarked project villages. By in small lots worth TZS 1,000 (about USD 0.44) and sold them in adopting the rural initiatives for participatory agricultural transfor- the local market. I provide my customers with information about mation (RIPAT) extension approach, which has an in-built scaling the nutritional value of OFSP. I have earned a total amount of TZS up mechanism, the first phase established the foundation for scal- 350,000 (about USD 153). In addition to growing onions, we are ing up OFSP technologies in the rest of the 20 villages. now relying on OFSP as a source of income and nutritious food for Before I started growing OFSP, I had difficulty reading my bible our family. I highly encourage my fellow community members to due to problems with my eyesight. I was surprised when early this embark on OFSP production to enable us to fight hidden hunger year after making OFSP a part of my regular diet, I stopped using and increase our incomes (Agnes Taki from Ruaha Mbuyuni, one of spectacles! Better still, I no longer have eye complications! I now the beneficiaries of WWK work). believe that OFSP is medicinal. Thanks to BNFB for introducing The BNFB team conducted a monitoring visit to the women groups these nutritious crops to us (WWK member from Irindi village). in Iringa in July 2018. The impact on the ground was impressive: Eighteen months after the WWK project started, there is real im- We saw a group of women who were highly motivated and ready pact on the ground, with Ihula, Irindi, Mahenge, Mbigili, Mbuyuni to learn and implement the knowledge and skills acquired to im- and Ruaha villages well capacitated and now producing OFSP. pact their communities with OFSP. It is amazing to see so much WWK women leadership in Iringa has focused on orientating and OFSP produced even in semi-arid regions like Mbuyuni village in creating awareness among the community, churches, local govern- Iringa. Producing and consuming OFSP will go a long way in re- ment and other institutions on the production and consumption of ducing hidden hunger levels in Iringa region, especially among OFSP. They have conducted step-down training on OFSP produc- women and children (Ms Joyce Maru, BNFB Communications and tion and agronomy for more than 300 community members and Capacity Development specialist). field days with the objective of facilitating sharing of experiences The WWK leaders are ready for the next planting season and for among group members and other farmers, government officials, scaling up OFSP to the rest of the 20 villages, but they say that they extension workers and other stakeholders, thus expanding the now want to adopt the ‘food basket’ approach that includes high reach of their work. iron beans and pro-vitamin A maize so as to reduce hidden hunger I received vines during phase 1 of the WWK project in December in the region with the nutritious staple crops. 2017 and planted them in just a small area. I have since multiplied 24 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S “Take lead – take off” Approach to Capacity Development for Sustainability and Impact: A success story of the Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute in Nigeria The Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) is a parastatal organization under the Federal Ministry of Agricul- ture and Rural Development of the Federal Government of Nigeria. ARMTI is situated in Ilorin Kwara State of North Central Nigeria. It is a center of excellence for agricultural and rural development (ARD) ToT training participants at ARMTI management training and ARD manpower development in Nige- ria in general. The work of ARMTI serves very well to demonstrate emerging impact and sustainability of the foundation laid by the “Agricultural and Rural Management Training Institute (ARMTI) Reaching Agents of Change (RAC) project’s capacity development has partnered with International Potato Center (CIP), through efforts. the Reaching Agents of Change (RAC) and Jumpstarting Projects. These partnerships have helped to build the capacities of the staff Between 2011 and 2014, the International Potato Center (CIP) and that participated in these projects and helped ARMTI in achieving Helen Keller International (HKI) implemented the RAC initiative that some of her agricultural and rural development mandates’’. Dr. O. advocated for increased investment in orange-fleshed sweetpota- A. Oladunni, Ag. Executive Director, ARMTI, Nigeria to (OFSP), to combat vitamin A deficiency among young children and women of reproductive age and to develop institutional and C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 25 community capabilities to produce and consume OFSP. To ensure Actors Training materials Competence required sustainability, RAC strengthened the capacity of national institu- Qualified agriculturalists, tions like ARMTI, Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania) and Nigeria: ARMTI TOT Manual, nutritionists, marketing Mozambique: EMU-FAEF TOT 10 day practical hands-on and gender experts, prior Eduardo Mondlane University (Mozambique), and that of individu- Tanzania: SUA Primary learning course, trainers knowledge of OFSP TOT PowerPoint set, al change agents. The aim was to enable them self-organize, drive Field activities Degree/diploma in agriculture. their own agenda, mainstream the OFSP training program into District level government and NGO Secondary trainers TOT Manual, Sensitive to gender issues. In a agricultural extension workers TOT 5 day practical hands-on possition to train others and/or their activities, and pass down the skills acquired to the end-users learning course, oversee a sweetpotato project TOT PowerPoint set, – the small-scale farmers. Ward/village level Field activities Diploma in agriculture. government and NGO Tertiary Sensitive togender issues. In The RAC project worked closely with ARMTI in planning and deliv- agricultural extension workers trainers Set of Memory Aids on all topics, a possition to train farmers TOT 5 day practical hands-on ering the Training of Trainers (ToT) courses on “Everything you ever Respected sweetpotato learning course, Respected in the community, farmers - representative End users/ Field activities experienced and active in wanted to know about sweetpotato” using adult learning meth- of different wealth farmer trainers End users agriculture, ability to groups, and traders Set of Memory Aids on all topics, odologies. This was achieved through a collaborative agreement motivate and communicate TOT 5 day practical hands-on learning course, that was successfully implemented between December 2012 and Sweetpotato End users Field activities farmers July 2014. The ToT course is a hands-on course that comprises of fourteen topics on sweetpotato knowledge along the value chain, Figure 1. Cascading Approach to Capacity development including production, utilization and investment in sweetpotato. To reach a critical mass producing and consuming OFSP, RAC ap- second year (2013), the national counterparts from ARMTI took plied a “cascading” model for capacity development, where experts lead in organizing and conducting the training while the RAC proj- (agriculturalists, nutritionists, health, marketing and gender ex- ect specialists backstopped. By the third year (2014), ARMTI’s ca- perts) attended a 10‐day workshop facilitated by CIP, HKI, ARMTI pacity was developed and they organized and conducted the ToT and other national experts. These experts became the primary fa- course on their own with the RAC project team acting as observers cilitators who in turn facilitated shorter and contextualized ToTs to and only offering partial financial support as illustrated in figure 2. various levels of audiences (secondary and tertiary). This upscaling ‘Take off’ Post RAC approach ensured that the training was cascaded down to farmer Post RAC project implementation (2014 onwards), ARMTI’s ca- trainers who finally trained the end users in their communities as pacity was fully developed and the ToT course was domiciled in illustrated in figure 1. ARMTI and they now took complete charge of running the course In the first year (2012); the RAC project specialists (CIP and HKI) led on a full-cost-recovery basis. ARMTI established and maintained the process of organizing and conducting the ToT course while the demonstration OFSP plots for field practical exercises during the national counterparts from ARMTI backstopped the process. In the ToT courses. However, this was not without challenges; for exam- 26 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S of 16,500,000 Naira (equivalent to USD 54,635.76 at a rate of $1 to N302), which was included in the 2016 ARMTI’s Human Capacity Development Capital project. Through this support, ARMTI was able to run two more ToT courses – the first in December 2016, and the second in March 2017. In these two courses, ARMTI trained up to 53 (12 female) agents of change on “Everything you ever want- ed to know about sweetpotato. This brings to a total 138 (42 fe- male) agents of change (national and international) that have been trained through ARMTI between 2012 and 2017, reaching over 21 states of Nigeria. The national participants were mainly drawn from six states, which are high producers and consumers of sweetpotato i.e. Kwara, Osun, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Benue and Nasarawa. The first cohort of ToTs trained in December 2016 included four new States i.e. Kogi, ToT training participants at ARMTI Oyo, Abia and Kano States as well as Capital Territory; while the sec- ond cohort trained in April 2017 included Bauchi, Gombe, Plateau, ple, in the first attempt to run the course in March 2015, there were Niger, Taraba, Anambra, Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Ekiti, and Ogun no applicants (with funding) despite efforts to advertise the course States. These new states have great potential for sweetpotato pro- extensively within and outside Nigeria and subsidizing the tuition duction and consumption and it is expected that more states will fee specially to attract national participants. The second attempt be included in subsequent courses to eventually cover all the states in October 2015 yielded some success attracting six participants. in Nigeria. This prompted ARMTI to become more innovative in mobilizing re- ARMTI plans to continue with this sustainable capacity develop- sources to support the course and ensure that the OFSP course re- ment initiative and to attract more funding from the Federal Gov- mained a priority, and was fully integrated into ARMTI’s programs. ernment of Nigeria; this way reaching more agents of change; im- ARMTI management developed a proposal to mobilize resources pacting on local institutions and farmers to produce and consume to run the course under ARMTI’s Human Capacity Development the vitamin A-rich OFSP. Catalyzing demand and investment for Capital Project and submitted it to the Federal Government of Ni- OFSP while strengthening institutional and community capacities, geria. These efforts yielded results and in 2016, when the Federal is critical to addressing hidden hunger by reaching more house- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development approved funding holds in Nigeria to produce and consume biofortified crops. C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 27 Four Orange-Fleshed Sweetpotato (OFSP) Vines of Gold (Capacity Development for Impact) Orange-Fleshed Sweetpotato (OFSP) multiplication fields at Ilindi village are impressive and inspirational. The fields, managed by very committed OFSP growers, using irrigation from the nearby Lake Manyara. The proximity of the land to the lake makes the wa- ter table very high allowing the farmers to dig up wells to irrigate their crops. Ilindi village is administratively located in a semi-arid area in the Semi-Arid Ilindi Village at a glance Bahi District of Dodoma - Tanzania. From the main road, one does not expect to see anything green and productive growing here; “I’m now able to generate income through multiplying and until you come across these evergreen and beautiful OFSP vine selling OFSP vines, and as a result, I pay school fees for my multiplication fields. children and our families have sufficient and nutritious food”. Julius Kayongola (pictured left), a farmer from Ilindi village – shared Farmer Julius Kayongola his journey to becoming a seasoned OFSP vine multiplier and root grower. In December 2015, he was one of the beneficiaries of the Julius explained that after the training, he received a sample of four OFSP seed production and multiplication training course orga- cuttings of multiplier vines that he has since multiplied to cover a nized by Sugar Research Institute (SRI-Kibaha) Tanzania, with fund- 0.5-acre piece of land with the aid of irrigation. He also shared the ing from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). vines with his family members and neighbors and as a result, many 28 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S members of Ilindi community now produce and consume OFSP throughout the year. The OFSP farmers multiply various varieties OFSP vines and sell them at the local market and generate income as a result. The ‘Ejumula’ variety of OFSP is one of the most popular with the Ilindi farmers. It grows impressively in semi-arid conditions and produces gigantic roots. These roots make the perfect nutritious staple food that is widely consumed at Ilindi. Julius’s story is a good example of the impact and sustainability of the Reaching Agents of Change (RAC) project’s capacity develop- ment efforts. Between 2011 and 2014, the International Potato Cen- tre (CIP) and Helen Keller International implemented RAC; an ini- tiative that advocated for increased investment in Orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) to combat vitamin A deficiency among young Farmer Julius Kanyongola’s 0.5 Acre OFSP multiplication site (CIP/ J Maru) children and women of reproductive age. RAC developed capaci- ty of national partners like Sugar Research Institute (SRI-Kibaha) in workers, farmers and other stakeholders along the sweetpotato Tanzania and other key beneficiaries to enable them self-organize, value chain to ensure for impact at scale. drive their own agenda, take ownership, and pass down the skills SRI-Kibaha and ARI-Hombolo were able to use Julius story to ca- acquired to the end-user – the farmer pacitate and inspire other OFSP farmers through a field visit which In this case, SRI-Kibaha received a grant of US$20,000 from the was part of a 2-day training on agronomy and seed production Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2015. This was one of conducted on 26-27 September 2016. The training targeted agri- the outcomes of RAC’s advocacy efforts that raised more than more culture extension workers and vine multipliers from 6 districts in US $21.6 million in the target countries (Nigeria, Tanzania, Mozam- Singida and 6 districts in Dodoma districts. The objective of the bique, Ghana and Burkina Faso) for OFSP initiatives and food-based training was to equip the participants with knowledge, skills, and approaches. SRI-Kibaha and Hombolo Agriculture Research Insti- technical understanding of OFSP seed production. tute (ARI - Hombolo) are some of the institutions whose capacity Ilindi’s 4 year OFSP Initiative is launched was strengthened by RAC to deliver Training of Trainer (ToT) cours- Consequently, Ilindi village recently launched a 4-year OFSP grow- es on “Everything you ever wanted to know about sweetpotato.” ing initiative that will ensure that all the twenty-two thousand They are now cascading this knowledge and expertise to extension households grow and consume OFSP by 2020. This initiative aims C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 29 Llindi Community Launch 4-year OFSP Plan (CIP/ N Luambano) to increase food and nutrition security for the Ilindi community and generate wealth for families. This project is spearheaded by Mr. Anthony Sahali, the Ward agri- culture extension officer with support from other OFSP champions among them Ms. Tina Suday Mbassa – the Ward councilor. The success realized as well as the achievements and lessons learnt from the RAC project led to the development of a follow-up proj- ect known as Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB). The BNFB explores a scaling-up model through a multi-crop (food basket) approach to addressing hidden hunger by catalyzing sustainable investments for the production and utilization of biofortified crops that are ready for scaling up, viz.: OFSP; vitamin A (yellow) cassava, vitamin A (orange) maize and high iron/zinc beans. RAC and BNFB projects are funded and supported by the Bill & Me- linda Gates Foundation. OFSP Varieties grown at Ilindi Village (CIP/ J Maru) 30 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S Vitamin A-rich orange-fleshed sweetpotato adoption is taking shape in Tanzania’s Dodoma and Singida regions Many households in the Dodoma and Singida regions of Tanzania can hardly afford nutritious foods or the high quality seeds re- quired to grow such crops for consumption and sale for income to support their families. This situation is slowly changing, however, as many households are now growing vitamin A-rich orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP). OFSP has been hailed as an innovative and alternative way of delivering essential micronutrients to the rural populations in a cost-effective manner. The crop, which is fully packed with important micronutrients, is affordable to grow and BNFB Seed Multiplication Training Morogoro Tanzania (CIP/ J Maru) easy to maintain. A 100-g serving of boiled OFSP roots or about half a cup can supply the daily vitamin A requirements of a young minerals. According to the Tanzania Demographic Health Survey child – which is 400 retinol activity equivalents – and thereby help of 2010, the prevalence of VAD is 33% among children aged 6–59 to fight hidden hunger, particularly vitamin A deficiency (VAD). Vi- months and 42% among women of reproductive age. VAD is par- tamin A helps to improve resistance to infectious diseases and to ticularly severe among poor, rural and vulnerable populations. decrease morbidity, as well as to reduce mortality in pregnant and In Dodoma and Singida regions, VAD prevalence is 30% among lactating mothers and their children. children aged 6–59 and 21% among women of reproductive age. Hidden hunger is widespread in Tanzania, and particularly VAD. Therefore, the effort to scale up OFSP dissemination in these two It is characterized by chronic deficiency in essential vitamins and regions by the Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) project is timely, as 45-year-old Simon Yohana, an OFSP farmer in Dodoma C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 31 ing OFSP and earning an income from selling it. “Many families in this village are facing problems because they grow crops that don’t help them. I have grown OSFP since 2016 and I am happy that my family is healthy.” Yohana says that through the sale of OFSP he has been able to edu- cate his children and that he wants to be a role model in his village. “I am expecting a bumper harvest this season, and I want people to know that even though I have only one good hand, I can make a difference.” In the same village, the Mwangaza women group is leading a cam- paign promoting the consumption of OFSP for its nutritional value. The chair of the 32-member group, 63-year-old Suzana Kawea, is working towards ensuring that every woman in Ilindi village plants OFSP during this planting season. “We have received a lot of infor- mation from our leader who was trained by the BNFB project. This information and knowledge are what she provides to us and we in turn use it to reach out to other women,” says Ms Kawea. She BNFB Seed Multiplication Training Morogoro Tanzania (CIP/ J Maru) further remarks that they are aware that consuming OFSP will help prevent a number of diseases and reduce stunted growth among region, reckons. The BNFB project is promoting the production and children, which is a serious problem in the region. consumption of biofortified crops such as OFSP in Tanzania. In the Masigati village of Manyoni district, the Juhudi agricultur- Mr Yohana is physically challenged and has only one function- al group, which consists both men and women, is reaching out to al hand. He is among the direct beneficiaries who received OFSP farmers with information on OFSP. Their chair, Azizah Saidi, who is vines from the BNFB vine multiplier in Ilindi village of Bahi district. a BNFB vine multiplier, provides them with information on OFSP Mr Yohana, a father of three, believes that living with a disability is during their weekly meetings every Wednesday. At one point the not inability. He says that his family has benefited through consum- group organized an OFSP promotional event for the entire village. 32 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S OFSP Farmers from Babati Tanzania during a field visit March 2017 (CIP/ J Maru) “The first time we cooked the sweetpotatoes, we invited all the In spite of these successes there are still challenges in the dissem- villagers to taste and appreciate the sweetness of the crop. They ination and adoption of OFSP, such as the overreliance on season- confirmed that OFSP was sweet, its color attractive and that our ality to grow OFSP in an environment where the rainy seasons children would love it,” says Ms Saidi. have become unpredictable due to climate change and the lack At least 11 districts, five of which are in Singida and six in Dodoma, of access to markets in the areas producing high volumes of OFSP. are growing OFSP. The dissemination efforts in these two regions Despite the challenges, the farmers believe that OFSP will go a long are being led by the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute Kiba- way in complementing the government’s efforts to provide vita- ha, a national partner on the BNFB project. In just under two years min A supplements to children under 5 years of age. They advocate the institute has reached 20,936 households with OFSP, 3346 of for concerted efforts of all stakeholders to ensure more sensitiza- them directly, including the 1,200 reached through schools, and tion and information sharing about the nutritional value of OFSP 17,590 indirectly. BNFB intends to reach 200,000 households in in order to increase its production and consumption to fight VAD these two regions by 2022. in Tanzania. C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 33 Catalyzing processing and marketing of nutritious biofortified foods in Tanzania: The case of AFCO Investments Company Ltd One year since receiving a grant from the Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) project, AFCO Investments Company Ltd, a processing firm based in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, has become an important contributor in improving the nutrition status of the Dar es Salaam urban population by supplying biofortified food prod- ucts to the market. Ms Fortunatha Mmari, the firm’s Managing Di- Ms Fortunatha rector, says that the demand for biofortified maize flour and fresh Mmari - AFCO Managing orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) roots is higher than what the Director (FCO) company can supply. hospitals, secondary schools and the general public. The BNFB The new chapter in AFCO’s story began in 2017 when the company team further encouraged AFCO to explore market opportunities was approached by BNFB to pilot pro-vitamin A (PVA) maize flour for OFSP fresh roots. in the market. AFCO was awarded a modest grant for the work, The pilot period opened Ms Mmari’s eyes to the untapped oppor- which involved piloting processed PVA maize, marketing bioforti- tunity and existing demand for OFSP and PVA maize. Using BNFB’s fied products, training the community on nutritional value of PVA training and promotional materials, AFCO initiated vigorous efforts maize, and promoting and distributing the processed products. to carry out nutrition education to the target communities through The funds allowed the company to buy a milling machine and sensitization workshops and market fairs. With time these activities packaging bags and to import PVA maize grain. Working in three helped push up the demand for PVA maize flour and OFSP roots. sub-regions in Dar es Salaam, AFCO targeted the main retail shops, For instance, in 2017 AFCO processed about 3.5 tons of PVA maize 34 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S flour and sold 2.8 tons within just 3 months through 14 retail shops today to have been fun and challenging: “AFCO is on the right path and one wholesaler in Dar es Salaam. Over a period of 5 months to success.” (December to April 2018), AFCO supplied 500 kg OFSP fresh roots AFCO believes that more work needs to be done to reach the vul- to Food Lovers Supermarket and Shoppers Supermarket, a volume nerable virgin market – comprising the low, middle and high-in- that fell far short of the estimated demand of 1.04 t per month. come populations in the urban and rural areas – with nutritious Ms Mmari believes that the products have become popular among biofortified foods. those who have consumed them and are aware of their nutritional benefits. And she states, “Consumers prefer PVA maize flour prod- ucts over those of regular white maize flour. This provides evidence that OFSP and PVA maize have been good vehicles to deliver vita- min A, a critical micronutrient for good health, growth and devel- opment.” She believes that her company’s results provide evidence on how consumers can evaluate their food consumption and nutri- tional patterns and choose to adopt healthier alternatives. Ms Mmari credits the growth of her company and its diversified portfolio to BNFB support, which credits for opening a new world for her company. She considers AFCO’s journey to get where it is Ms Fortunatha Mmari - AFCO Managing Director (AFCO) AFCO OFSP Composite Flour (AFCO) C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 35 Strengthening private sector capacity to scale up pro- vitamin A maize production and consumption in Nigeria Incorporated in 1994, Premier Seed Company Ltd. is one of the four private seed companies in Nigeria that are partnering with the Build- ing Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) project to research and dissem- inate biofortified maize varieties in Nigeria. According to the Man- aging Director, Professor Ibrahim Ogungbite, the investment by the company in pro-vitamin A (PVA) maize value chain has been one of the most rewarding in the recent past. “The entire 395 tons of the PVA Maize (CIP/ J Maru) PVA certified maize seed that we produced last year was been mo- ped up,” observes Dr Afolabi Samson, the Research Manager. BNFB is a three-year project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates PVA maize is a special type of maize that is rich in beta-carotene. Foundation that seeks to reduce hidden hunger by catalyzing sus- Beta-carotene is an organic, strongly colored, red-orange pigment tainable investment for the utilization of biofortified crops (vitamin abundant in plants and fruits. Beta-carotene is what gives PVA A cassava, vitamin A maize, vitamin A sweetpotato and iron rich maize an orange color and is converted into vitamin A in the body beans) at scale. The project is implemented in Nigeria and Tanzania after consumption. PVA maize is in many ways the same as white, to demonstrate how multiple biofortified crops can be scaled up yellow or other maize, but the big difference is that it provides an together at the country level. The project is led by CIP and is imple- additional nutritional benefit of vitamin A, which other types do mented by a consortium partnership of six core partners – the In- not have. ternational Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the International 36 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S Potato Center (CIP), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture the company and its farmers were invited to attend a course on (IITA), HarvestPlus and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa PVA maize production. The partnership continued with mentorship (FARA) together with national implementing partners. activities, especially from the PVA maize platform in Nigeria, which was launched with support from BNFB. Moreover, sensitization PVA maize was first introduced in Nigeria through the efforts of the events involving BNFB and Premier Seed Company were held in International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in collaboration the maize growing corridor. BNFB further conducted a sensitization with HarvestPlus and other partners. It was developed through a meeting for stakeholders on PVA maize in 2017 in Jos and a step- conventional plant breeding process that exploits natural varia- down training event in Kaduna in 2017, as well as working through tions existing within crops. seed companies to train processors and marketers of PVA maize in Consumption of PVA maize complements other food-based strat- Lafia in 2017. egies in the fight against vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in Nigeria. Dr Afolabi underscored the important value arising from the capac- VAD, or hidden hunger, is recognized as one of the most serious ity enhancement programs for the seed company as an institution micronutrient deficiencies affecting many people, but the most and for farmers and seed growers, whose ability to produce PVA vulnerable are children under five years of age, pregnant women maize was improved greatly: and lactating mothers. VAD causes morbidity, nutritional blindness The training events have been very beneficial to us as participants and even death in some cases. in terms of increasing our knowledge and understanding on PVA The launch of the BNFB project in November 2015 strengthened maize. The demonstration plots that were established by the BNFB the adoption of PVA maize in Nigeria by fast-tracking the release of PVA varieties Sammaz 49 and Sammaz 52, and hence significant- ly contributed to widening the area growing PVA maize. The two varieties are high in beta-carotene, with levels of 9–11 ppm, and highly productive, yielding more than 5 tons per hectare. The two varieties were developed by IITA under the HarvestPlus Challenge Program. The BNFB project contributed to the fast-tracking of their release and to capacity development initiatives targeting seed companies and outgrower farmers for their large-scale production. Dr Afolabi speaks highly concerning the capacity development Youth engaging in training received from the BNFB project. The relationship between Production of PVA Premier Seed Company Ltd and the project began in 2016 when Maize (CIP Nigeria) C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 37 project helped to showcase the practical cultivation of these vari- on a 3-acre piece of land in the Awe Local Council in the Nasara- eties of maize. wa Agricultural Development Programme (ADP) and says that the BNFB project also provided seed companies with breeder seed. In company is also raising awareness on the need for seed multipli- 2016/17 Premier Seed Company received 1 ton out of the 2.4 tons cation. The emir of Keana local council and farmers in his area also of the breeder seed produced by BNFB and IITA, while in 2017/18 planted a large area of PVA maize in May 2018 with the support of the company received 2 tons out of the 7.8 tons produced. IITA has the SMILE awareness and dissemination program. set aside close to 5 hectares of land for PVA seed production during Dr Wende Mengesha, the IITA PVA maize breeder on the BNFB proj- 2018/2019 season. Once ready, the seed will then be made avail- ect, states that by working with national partners the project will able to Premier Seed Company for further multiplication. see at least 50,000 households growing PVA maize in Nigeria by Dr Afolabi is highly appreciative of the support that Premier Seed March 2019 and two major processors producing PVA maize prod- Company has received from BNFB. ucts, to reach as many Nigerian households as possible. “This is the vision of the BNFB project. The long-term goal is to greatly contrib- About 14,763 farmers were reached with the certified seed in the ute to ending VAD in Nigeria through widespread consumption of last year. There is a target to increase seed production to about PVA maize,” says Dr Mengesha. 1,500 metric tons in 2018 to reach 3,000 outgrowers in three zones. About 80 farmers have already received the seed, each of whom will grow a minimum of two hectares. This would not have been possible without the support of the BNFB project. ‘’The future of PVA Maize in Nigeria is very bright,’’ says Professor Ogungbite, who also indicates that processors have begun show- ing keen interest in PVA maize over the white variety. Among these processors are Grand Cereals Mills and Nestle, which are willing to introduce the PVA maize varieties in their complement of products. Dr Afolabi indicates that discussions are at an advanced stage to link Nestle with Premier Seed Company aggregators so that Nestle can get PVA maize of high quality and in the right quantities. Dr Afolabi observes that there is increased awareness on and de- mand for PVA maize with many farmers requesting for seeds from these varieties. He cites a women’s group that planted PVA maize Dr Wende Mengesha IITA (CIP Nigeria/ Isiaka) 38 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S Fighting iron deficiency through scaling up high iron and zinc beans in Tanzania The International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) has for the last two-and-half years collaborated with the Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) project, national research institutions such as the Agriculture Research Institute (ARI) Maruku, ARI–Seliani and ARTI–Uyole and other development partners to expedite the eval- uation and release of biofortified high iron and zinc bean varieties in Tanzania. The drive to release these varieties is fueled by the high prevalence of anemia in Tanzania, especially among children under 5 years of age, adolescent girls and expectant women. Seeds systems specialist Dr Jean Claude Rubyogo touring The Tanzania Demographic Health Survey, Malaria Survey Indica- a demonstration farm for climbing bean varieties tors for 2015–16 estimates anemia prevalence in children aged 6–59 months to be 58%, and it goes as high as 71% in Shinyanga In Tanzania, the BNFB project is partnering with a number of insti- district, where prevalence among women of reproductive age is tutions to reduce hidden hunger by catalyzing sustainable invest- 45%. Dr Jean Claude Rubyogo, a seed systems specialist at CIAT, ment for the utilization of biofortified crops that include vitamin A believes that concerted efforts and a holistic approach are nec- and high iron and zinc. In just under two-and-half years the project essary to address these alarming anemia rates. There is evidence has helped to accelerate the release of two new high iron bean that consuming beans that contain high levels of iron reduces iron varieties, MAC44 (Seliani 14) and RVW1129 (Seliani 15), opening a deficiency and enhances cognitive performance of iron-deficient new chapter in the fight against iron deficiency in Tanzania. The women and children. new varieties will complement already released varieties and the local non-biofortified beans available in the country and provide C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 39 flexibility to both smallholder and commercial farmers in selecting biofortified varieties to address iron and zinc deficiency among vul- nerable groups, which comprise children under 5 and women of reproductive age, as well as provide income to bean value chain actors. Working through CIAT, BNFB mobilized three national institutions – ARI–Selian, ARI–Maruku and ARI–Uyole – to conduct several multi-locational trials, which were crucial in ensuring that farmers and other stakeholders fully participated in the evaluation process, expediting research on these varieties. The project leveraged the East African Seed Protocol, working through the Pan African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), to transfer promising bean genotypes of the biofortified varieties that had been released in Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda. That protocol facilitates for fast-tracking of variety release by allowing evaluation data for a variety officially released in one of the East African countries to be accepted in other Ms Mary Mdachi is leading the school feeding program initiative member countries after one season of testing in that country. “If we had started by making crosses, it would have taken us 8–12 years to have the new varieties released. Through the partnership with zone. With this support we ended up having 10 sites with several PABRA, BNFB was able to easily and quickly acquire these materials multi-locational trials spread across different agroecologies. to fast-track their release,” notes Dr Rubyogo. Dr Rubyogo estimates that at least 15,000 households will have ac- Funding support was critical in the success of the variety release, cessed seed of the new high iron and zinc climbing bean varieties according to Dr Rubyogo: by the end of 2018 and that 600,000 households countrywide will It is amazing what the right partnerships and small grants can be growing these nutritious bean varieties by 2021. “This will go a achieve. With a USD 394,000 sub-grant from the International Po- long way in complementing the government’s efforts in the fight tato Center, CIAT and the implementing national partners were against iron deficiency and hidden hunger in the country,” he adds. able to undertake a number of activities, including seed pro- The BNFB project has supported capacity building and seed pro- duction and testing and multi-locational trials. Without the proj- duction to ensure the released varieties reach farmers and con- ect support, we would only have done one trial in the northern sumers on time. An estimated 7,000 agricultural and nutrition 40 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S biofortified maize flour and high iron and zinc beans in lunch meals for pupils is a strategy that will greatly contribute to deal- ing with hidden hunger among children in the targeted regions. “That is why we are targeting nutritious staple foods, because we know that out of 10 households in Tan- zania, at least 8 consume beans and maize.” In order to engage with stakeholders and get them to adopt high iron and zinc beans in the food system, BNFB has had several engagements in the form of capacity build- ing workshops targeting heads of schools, district nutrition officers, district poli- cy-makers and parents of school children, among other stakeholders in the districts Multiplication of high-iron bean varieties seed, MAC44 (Seliani 14) and RVW1129 (Seliani 15), in Tanzania of Monduli, Babati, Mbulu, Hanang, Karatu, Meru, Hai and Moshi rural. Ms Mdachi stakeholders, including change agents, farmer groups, village extension officers, district states that: agricultural officers, district nutrition officers and school headmasters, have been trained As a result of the trainings and sensiti- and sensitized on the crop value chain. Awareness creation has been carried out in the five zation at least 30 schools in Kilimanjaro, districts of Hai, Mbulu, Moshi, Hanang and Babati. Arusha and Manyara regions have each The BNFB project has been instrumental in the introduction of nutritious biofortified crops set aside 0.25 acres of land for planting in the school feeding programs in Kilimanjaro, Arusha and Manyara regions. Mary Mda- the new bean varieties for their own con- chi, a nutritionist working with the post-harvest nutrition unit at ARI–Selian in Arusha, is sumption. BNFB complements the sup- passionate about the school feeding program. “All our efforts geared towards the school port we receive from the government. We feeding program have been supported by the BNFB project,” she notes. are grateful to BNFB. Without their sup- Schools have been mobilized to introduce biofortified beans and biofortified maize in their port, we wouldn’t have achieved all these menus to help deal with micronutrient malnutrition. Ms Mdachi says the introduction of good results. C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 41 Partnering with the private sector to catalyze the availability of pro- vitamin A maize in Tanzania Tanzanians will soon start benefiting from the large-scale produc- tion of the nutritious pro-vitamin A (PVA) maize with the release of two new varieties and accelerated seed production to cater for the anticipated demand. These gains have been made over the last three years following the launch of the Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) project in the country. PVA maize is special in that it is rich in beta-carotene – an organic, strong colored, red-orange pigment also abundant in plants and fruits. Beta-carotene is what gives PVA maize its orange color and is converted into vitamin A in Meru Agro PVA Demonstration Site in Arusha the body after consumption. Tanzania (CIP/ J Maru) BNFB is a three-year project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates In November 2015, when the BNFB project implementation ef- Foundation that seeks to reduce hidden hunger by catalyzing sus- forts started in Tanzania, there were no PVA maize varieties in the tainable investment for the utilization of biofortified crops such as country. In a country where, according to the 2010 Tanzania Demo- PVA maize at scale. The project is led by the International Potato graphic and Health Survey, the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency Center (CIP) and is implemented by a consortium partnership of (VAD) is 33% among children aged 6–59 months and 42% among six core partners including the International Maize and Wheat Im- women of reproductive age, the introduction of PVA maize was provement Center (CIMMYT), national governments and local part- considered a critical complementary food-based approach to ad- ners such as Meru Agro Tours and Consultants Ltd in Tanzania. dressing VAD. Therefore, working through CIMMYT and Meru Agro Tours and Consultants Ltd, BNFB facilitated the fast-tracking of the release of two PVA maize varieties in 2016, namely Meru VAH517 42 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S and Meru VAH519. Mr Watanga Chacha, the Managing Director of Meru Agro Tours and Consultants Ltd, notes: Prior to 2015, we did not know anything about PVA maize and nei- ther did we have any interest in it, but when BNFB educated us about this nutritious type of maize, we developed the interest and realized that it had nutrition benefits for us. It is at that time that we embraced PVA maize. Meru Agro Tours and Consultants Ltd is one of the seed compa- nies partnering with CIMMYT. Through BNFB’s support the com- pany has been able to expedite the release of the two PVA maize varieties. CIMMYT provided breeder seed for testing and provided resources to Meru Agro Tours and Consultants Ltd for conducting on-farm trials and multiple location testing. According to Mr Cha- cha the new certified seeds will be available to farmers during the October–December 2018 rainy season, and at least 2,600 farmers will be able to access PVA maize seed by the end 2018, while this Meru Agro PVA Seed multiplication sites in Arusha - Tanzania (CIP/ J Gethi) will be 56,000 in 2019. “We are expecting at least 20 metric tons of seeds by October this year (2018), so we shall have enough seeds promotional purposes, trials, farmers’ assessments and national for farmers from January 2019,” he says. performance trials for the release of additional pro-vitamin A maize In addition to supporting the evaluation of the two released vari- varieties in Tanzania. “Through this support, we have been able to eties, BNFB granted USD 61,000 to Meru Agro Tours and Consul- establish at least 15 demonstration plots spread across Arusha, tants Ltd, which enabled the company to undertake a number of Meru and Kilimanjaro regions for purposes of educating farmers activities, including the production of parent line seeds and basic about the new seeds and varieties. This really made our work easier seed production, technical capacity building, evaluation of more because we were spread all over,” says Mr Chacha. PVA maize varieties, scaling up of the production of breeder seeds, BNFB support has also enabled Meru Agro Tours and Consultants and promotional events. Ltd to participate in a number of agricultural shows, including Part of the grant from BNFB was used to purchase an estimated the country’s famous nane nane shows in Arusha, Morogoro and 1,000 kg of Meru VAH 517 seeds from Zimbabwe that was used for Mbeya, where the company has exhibited and showcased the new C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 43 seeds and distributed a number of information, education and communication materials, attracting a lot of interest and creating demand from farmers. Besides, the company has conducted field days in selected demonstration plots, where farmers and other stakeholders in the maize value chain have participated. CIMMYT’s principal investigator, Dr James Gethi, states that the BNFB project has gone a long way in supporting the release of biofortified crop varieties in Tanzania. “Without the BNFB project, there would be no PVA maize in Tanzania, the time it has taken us from its release to its availability in market has been relatively PVA Maize Ugali (A local delicacy in Tanzania) (CIP/ J Maru) short! It’s unheard of. It’s through the BNFB project that we have been able to do this,” he declares. Under normal circumstances, Dr as scaling up of the production of seeds, supplying seed compa- Gethi admits, it would have taken at least over five years to devel- nies with breeder seeds and bringing together a number of seed op a variety or a single maize seed, and even longer to conclude all companies for a close and organized working relationship, training the processes involved, including testing and evaluation and the and capacity building. Dr Ndhlela admits that BNFB has pioneered other steps to seed release. the introduction of PVA maize in Tanzania, that biofortification has According to Dr Gethi, BNFB has been able to develop the capacity enormous potential in Tanzania, and that it is only through scal- of a number of partners, focusing on skills in quality control and ing up biofortification interventions that the country will be able assurance for biofortified products, maize included. The project to deal with the existing high levels of VAD: “If we don’t scale up has been able to provide a number of opportunities for farmers, the biofortification interventions in the country, people will contin- processors and breeders among other benefits. “The future of bio- ue living with VAD, which poses a serious health risk to a country’s fortification in Tanzania is bright, especially after BNFB has put a population.” face to it and proven that there is a complementary solution to the The BNFB project has seen communities in Tanzania adopt and use country’s hidden hunger, and in particular the VAD problem,” adds biofortified crops such as the orange-fleshed sweetpotato and has Dr Gethi. been working towards scaling up the production of PVA maize and Dr Gethi’s sentiments are well shared by his counterpart at CIM- high iron and zinc beans. These locally available crops are rich in MYT, Dr Thokozile Ndhlela, who is also a breeder. She admits that the essential vitamins and minerals that are useful in dealing with BNFB has contributed significantly towards the breeding efforts micronutrient deficiency problems among vulnerable populations, for PVA maize in Tanzania. The project has enabled activities such especially Tanzania’s rural poor. 44 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S School children as change agents for catalyzing production and consumption of orange-fleshed sweetpotato in Dodoma and Singida regions, Tanzania Through an initiative to tackle micronutrient deficiencies – also commonly known as hidden hunger – in the rural settings, the Building Nutritious Food Baskets (BNFB) project in Tanzania has been using schools and school children as agents of change in catalyzing the production of orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP). OFSP, a nutritious, vitamin A-rich crop, is currently being used to tackle vitamin A deficiency in Tanzania. The BNFB project has been working towards the reduction of hidden hunger in Tanzania by catalyzing sustainable investment for the production and utiliza- School children in Dodoma Tanzania as Change Agents (SRI-Kibaha) tion of biofortified crops, including OFSP. It is 3 p.m. at Tambi primary school in Mpwapwa district of Dodoma Research Institute Kibaha (TARI–Kibaha). According to Dr Kiddo region. The bell rings and all the students assemble at the school’s Mtunda, the then Director of the institute, the use of schools as an parade grounds to receive the day’s instructions before they break avenue for reaching parents and the wider community was con- for the day. Officials from the BNFB project are also at the assembly sidered due to their neutrality and convenience. “The school is be- with a truck loaded with OFSP vines to distribute to the children. lieved to be a neutral ground for parents and therefore it becomes The children are encouraged to take the vines home to their par- a convenient place to send vines for distribution through pupils. ents for planting at the onset of the rains. We wanted wide coverage using the shortest time possible,” he re- The production and dissemination of OFSP vines in Tanzania un- marks. Dr Mtunda believes that because pupils are future parents, der the BNFB project are being led by the Tanzania Agricultural becoming aware of OFSP and getting to learn about the crop and C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 45 its nutritional benefits in their early age is key to sustainable nu- trition education because they are likely to carry these values into their adulthood. The TARI–Kibaha team camped in schools within Dodoma during the month of April to conduct sensitization exercises. The aim was to ensure that before the end of the rainy season most households within the region would have planted the crop. “We are targeting at least four schools in every district. In each school at least 200 pupils received the vines. At the end of each growing season surplus vines are shared with neighboring families, spreading the benefits,” says Mary Yongolo, a scientist from TARI–Kibaha. Pupils from Mlembule and Itambi primary schools in Mpwapwa district are the latest beneficiaries of OFSP vines. Mr Gideon Baku- za, one of the district extension officers present during the vine dis- tribution exercise, says his office has established proper monitor- ing mechanisms that ensure that all the vines distributed through the schools are planted. He says that already parents have been sensitized and have information about OFSP. “Through the BNFB project, we have been trained and educated them about OFSP. My role, therefore, is to follow up with farmers and to train them on how to grow the new crop.” He adds that he has seen families im- prove economically through the sale of OFSP vines and roots, and that this has motivated him to continue educating people on the benefits of the crop. At Tambi primary school, the head teacher, Mr Egidi Mwachari, says that parents understand that consuming OFSP will provide the daily requirements of vitamin A. He hails the school distribution process as an easier avenue for reaching parents. “We have a reg- Young children enjoying the nutritious OFSP (CIP/ HKI/RAC) ister of all the beneficiaries including all the children who received 46 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S the vines and their parents. This is important when doing our fol- will plant the vines immediately so that I can benefit from its nutri- low-up,” says Mr Mwachari. tional value,” he says. For Tambi primary school, a committee comprising village execu- Highly rich in vitamin A, OFSP is an optimal food choice for preg- tive officers, the school head teacher and community leaders keeps nant and lactating women and children under 2 years of age. Con- watch over the progress of the exercise while ensuring that every- sumption of OFSP can help prevent night-blindness, susceptibility one plants all the vines he or she has received. to infections, reduced growth and mental development, and high Mr Bilauli Kulwa, one of the parents who have received vines, says mortality rates among children and adults, providing a cost-effec- that he now understands the benefits of consuming OFSP follow- tive, local solution and a sustainable nutrition intervention. ing training from his local village elder. He admits that he had never The cultivation of OFSP has also been economically empowering seen OFSP vines before that and had been longing to see them. “I for many households in 11 districts of Dodoma region. One of the prominent OFSP farmers in Mkalama district, Mr Abnery Ku- sui, notes that the cultivation of the OFSP has been tremendously beneficial to him: “Not only do I have access to a highly nutritious food, but I have also made significant financial gain from selling the roots. There are many other farmers like Mr Kisui who are growing OFSP for small-scale commercial production and for household con- sumption who believe that OFSP is an ideal nutritious crop and that the time has come for people to embrace it by investing in the production and consumption of its roots and products. The vines that are being provided to schools through the BNFB project are part of an initiative to encourage local farmers to grow more nutritious varieties of sweetpotatoes, which, apart from be- ing rich in vitamin A, are rich in vitamins C and E, several B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and other minerals. They are also high yielding and tolerant to diseases, pests and drought. Ultimately, the BNFB project hopes to reach at least 100,000 households in Singida and School children enjoy OFSP through home grown school feeding program Dodoma regions with OFSP by 2019 for health and wealth. (CIP Nigeria) C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 47 48 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 49 50 C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S C O M B A T I N G H I D D E N H U N G E R T H R O U G H N U T R I T I O U S F O O D B A S K E T S 51 The Building Nutritious Food Baskets: Scaling up Biofortified Crops for Nutrition Security seeks to reduce hidden hunger by catalyzing sustainable investment Building for the production and utilization of biofortified crops (Orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP); vitamin A (yellow) cassava, vitamin A (orange) maize and high iron/zinc beans) Nutritious Food at scale. The project is implemented in Nigeria and Tanzania, to demonstrate how biofortified crops can be scaled up through a multi-crop (“food basket”) approach. Baskets Project BNFB draws on complementary expertise for scaling up through a partnership between CGIAR centers and programs, regional organizations and other public and private sector agencies to create a movement that will eventually reach the target populations. BNFB’s hypothesis is that scaling up is dependent on supportive policy environment, strong institutional capacities and availability of proven technologies.