Particularly in developing countries nearly one billion people are effected by nutrition insecurity in form of under- or malnutrition (FAO 2010, p. 1). Merely by the expression of vitamin A-deficiency an estimate of up to 500,000 children go blind worldwide every year (WHO 2011). This survey deals with a solution approach in form of the contribution made by the orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) and its afford towards nutrition security in rural areas of Mwanza, Tanzania. With help of the partner organization TAHEA, a retrospective population-based study of the nutritional status of rural population of Mwanza was conducted and impressions on food security were reinforced through participant observation. The positive influence of OFSP towards vitamin A status has been confirmed and among others an income-generating function by cultivation and sale of the tuber has been observed. The risk of a possible overdose must also be considered. Thus, the tuber is recommended as a nutritious snack or side dish, but should not be advertised as a considered staple food.



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Chapter 4, Influences of the nutritional situation in Tanzania:

4.1, Traditional diet:

The diet of the Tanzanian population is based on cereals, starchy roots with

high fiber content and pulses in rural as well as in urban areas (FAO 2008, p.

17). Starchy foods provide almost three quarters of the total energy supply,

despite the wide variety of food produced in Tanzania. Consumption of micronutrient

dense foods such as animal products is low and subsequently micronutrient

deficiencies are widespread (FAO 2008, p. 3). Especially among rural

communities the frequency of vegetable consumption is high. There they are

included in every meal, but generally quantities are small. Therefore, vegetables

do not contribute significantly to nutrient intake. Fruits are not commonly

consumed, as they are not considered as important by many adults. Maize is

consumed as a staple in all regions of the country, but especially in urban

regions. Other cereals, roots and tubers such as yams, millet and sweet potatoes

are known but contribute less to the diet as they are less preferred than

maize (FAO 2008, p. 17).

The country is separated into seven agro-ecological zones, each one having a

main staple. Widespread staples are: plantain in north western tip and northern

Tanzania; maize and some sorghum in the central and southern highlands

zones; rice in the river basins of Kilombero, Rufiji and eastern zones; cassava in

western and south eastern areas. In rural areas and among the low-income part

of the urban inhabitants, the quantity of food consumed can be limited and meal

regularity varies with the season. During the wet season food consumed may

be limited to one meal per day, while two to three meals may be consumed

during the dry or harvest season. Frequency of meat and milk consumption is

extremely low, on average once a week, a month or even less (FAO 2008, p.

17).

The most common main dish is stiff porridge, called in the national language

Kiswahili as ugali, made from maize flour, sorghum or cassava with water. It is

eaten with a relish either made of vegetables, sardines, pulses or meat. Rice

and various fish cooked in coconut oil are also preferred staples for people

living in coastal communities. The introduction of various spices by the Arabs is

highly evident in a popular coastal dish, namely pilau. It consists of rice spiced

with curry, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, and hot peppers. Eggplant, tomatoes,

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beans, spinach and other greens, as well as maize are frequently eaten, many

of these are grown in backyard gardens. Fried bananas, also called plantains, is

a very popular local dish, while in the cities, Indian food is plentiful. All of this

meals are usually eaten out of a large bowl that is shared by everyone at the

table (FOOD BY COUNTRY 2011).

Tea is the most widely consumed beverage. It is classically taken throughout

the day, often while socializing and visiting friends and family. Sweet fried rice

cakes called vitumbua are commonly eaten with the tea in the mornings, or

between meals as a snack. Chapatti, a fried flat bread, also served with tea, is a

popular snack among all groups of age (FOOD BY COUNTRY 2011).

In the urban areas, food behaviors and dietary patterns have radically changed

in the last decades, especially among the high-income group, partly due to

trade liberalization and globalization. Energy dense foods and western-type fast

foods have become eagerly obtainable on the market and their consumption

has increased considerably. The dietary pattern has changed from a traditional

diet high in carbohydrates and fiber to consumption of non-traditional processed

foods, meat and alcohol (FAO 2008, p. 17).

4.2, Food and Nutrition security:

In 2009, there were about 280,000 people in Tanzania in the food insecure

category. Some reasons are the decline in food supplies and high prices, due to

increasing transport costs across the country, intensified plant diseases in the

Lake Victoria Zone and a new imposed policy for using acceptable fishing

equipment in lakes, rivers, and on the coast at a time when stocks from previous

harvest are running low. These factors have caused moderate food insecurity

in Mwanza and some other regions (FEWS NET 2009, p. 1).

Tanzanian national efforts to enhance the quality of food and nutrition by

considering important aspects such as availability of food, proper food preparation

and preservation began immediately after independence in 1961 and were

reinforced after the Arusha Declaration of 1967 (MOH 1992, p. i). The formation

of the Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre (TFNC) in 1973 was one of the major

steps taken by the Government to improve nutrition status in the country (MOH

1992, p. 10). In 1996, the Rome Declaration on World Food Security and the

WORLD FOOD SUMMIT (1996) Plan of Action defined food security as existing

when all people around the world at all times have access to adequate, safe,

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nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life (see p. 1). Health is one of

the basic human rights that does not only imply a person´s state of being free

from disease but also the state of being well physically, mentally and spiritually

hence the ability to participate fully in the community developmental process

(WHO w. y. quoted from MOH 1992, p. i). Linked through malnutrition, health is

an undeniably aspect of food and nutrition security, like sustainable economic

development, environment, and trade to. That makes food and nutrition security

to a complex sustainable development issue (WHO 2011).

Food security includes physical and economic access to food that meets

people´s dietary needs as well as their food preferences (WFS 1996, p. 3).

These dietary needs are defined as the nutritional status which is the balance

between the intake of nutrients by an organism and the expenditure of these in

the processes of growth, reproduction, and health maintenance

(UMWELTLEXIKON-ONLINE 2010). The requirements varies with the level of

physical activity, age and gender and also with the weight, body size of a

person and the climatic conditions of the living place (NATIONAL ACADEMY

PRESS 1989, p. 30ff.)

Nutrition security is achieved when a household has secure access to food

connected with a sanitary environment, adequate health services, and knowledgeable

care to ensure a healthy life for all household members. The results of

more productive and profitable agriculture or from enhanced growth in the

broader economy are an improved food security at the household or individual

levels and thus an input to a better quality of life. An individual’s ability to reach

the full personal and economic potential depends to a large degree on the level

of nutrition security (BENSON 2004, p. 9). As food security, nutrition security is

defined at the household and the individual levels, but the determinants extend

far beyond the control of the household itself. It is the concern of many more

institutions, sectors, and other actors (BENSON 2004, p. 11).

Food and nutrition security is built on three pillars, namely food availability, food

access, and food use including hygiene aspects (see Fig. 4). It is a complex

sustainable development issue that is linked to health through malnutrition, but

also to sustainable economic development, environment, and trade (WHO

2011).