Trends in global nutrition and health:

Local fruits and theirpotential importance for

nutrition and healthJessica Fanzo PhD

Senior Scientist, Nutrition and DiversityBioversity International

One billion are hungry and 200 million children are stunted

South Atlantic Ocean South Pacific Ocean

Indian Ocean

Arctic Ocean

Arctic Ocean

North Pacific Ocean

Over a billion are overweight or obese<10% 10-20%

21-30% 31-40% 41-50% >51%

Source: The World is Fat (Penguin, Dec 2008)

Main driver of undernutriton is…

POVERTY

Main driver of overnutrition…not poverty alone

• Global shifts in the diet– Energy dense foods–High in fat and sugar– Low in micronutrients

• Decline in physical activity– Sedentary nature of work–Modes of transportation– Increased urbanization

The Double Burden of Poor Nutrition

Urbanization + Economic Growth

Slow mortality decline

• increased fat, sugar, processed foods

• shift in technology ofwork and leisure

accelerated life expectancy,shift to increased DR-NCD,increased disability period

MCH deficiencies, weaning disease,stunting

• starchy, low variety, low fat,high fiber

• labor-intensive work/leisure

obesity emerges,bone density problems

Source: Popkin, Barry M. ( 2002) Public Health Nutrition 5:93-103.

Receding Famine

One alarming trend

Children who are born of low birth weight followed by exposure to high fat, nutrient dense foods ---- are more at risk of becoming obese and susceptible to non-communicable diseases

Children under two who are undernourished in Russia

Zohoori, Gleiter, and Popkin 2001

Adults ages 18 to 29 who are overweight in Russia

Zohoori, Gleiter, and Popkin 2001

Adults ages 30 to 59 who are overweight in Russia

Zohoori, Gleiter, and Popkin 2001

Adults over 60 who are overweight in Russia

Zohoori, Gleiter, and Popkin 2001

Summary of Russia’s nutritional status

• Low birth weight babies: 7% (EU is 4 to 7)• Stunting in children under 2: 8-15%• Overweight or obese adults: over 50%• Emphasis on high meat, high protein, high

calorie diet• The “double burden” in Russia is due to a lack

of micronutrients essential for growth followed by weight gain during infancy

What is being done globally to address the global burden?

• The interventions being currently scaled are:– Good child feeding and hygiene practices– Micronutrient supplementation– Food fortification– Ready to use therapeutic foods to treat acute malnutrition

• What is not addressed in these interventions?– Diet diversity– Overnutrition– Agriculture’s role

Agriculture, for the most part, hasforgotten about nutrition

Agriculture research, programs and policy have not focus on maximizing nutrition output from farming systems

Agricultural Biodiversity

• Agricultural Biodiversity is POTENTIALLY important:– As a coping mechanism against hunger– For environmental sustainability– For food security resilience– For strengthening of local food systems– As a rich source of nutrients for improved diet diversity and quality

• Deriving direct benefits from agricultural biodiversity is an incentive to conserve that diversity

Diet Diversity

– Good predictor of dietary quality– Associated with stunting– Associated with longevity– Associated with decreases in some

cancers and heart disease risk

Fruits and vegetables contribute to diet diversity

• Important for diet diversity by providing micronutrients and non-nutrients

• Botanical diversity of fruits and vegetables plays a role in the biological effect of antioxidant phytochemicals

• Consumption of fruit and vegetables has many health benefits:– Lowers blood pressure – reduces risk of heart disease, stroke, and some cancers– lowers risk of eye and digestive problems – keeps blood sugar levels more level

SO WHY DON’T PEOPLE CONSUME MORE???

The Berry Collection and its importance in health and nutrition

• In Northern territories with cold climates, berries play a critical role in diets and are highly adopted to local conditions (Finland, Russia, NE USA, Canada, Greenland)

• Large diversity of Ribes (currants), Rubus (blackberries), Lonicera (honeyberries), Sorbus (moutain ash), Vitis (grape) should be harnessed!

• Beyond just essential vitamins and minerals essential for nutrition, phytochemicals are critical important

Importance of Genetic Diversity to Diet diversity for Russia

• Traditional foods have been replaced with cheaper calorie-rich, nutrient-deficient staples like bread and potatoes

• "We are losing our culinary traditions,“ -Gennady Onishchenko, head of the Federal Consumer Protection Service

• Conservation and characterization of genetic diversity of local Russian crops is the FIRST and most critical step in preserving those culinary traditions – and gaining ACCESS to agricultural biodiversity and dietary diversity

Vitamin deficiencies amongst children and adults in Moscow

Linking genetic resource conservation with wellbeing: The importance of this collaboration: VIR, BI, and CRPGL

• New collaboration platforms: partnerships between nutritionists and gene bank scientists are rare

• New links: linking the importance of local genetic resources to better nutrition and health is a new area of work

• New research: Research on the nutrient and health factors of local varieties assessed from gene banks, grown in different environmental and geographical conditions is innovative

Critical Future Questions

• What is the impact of the nutrient and phytochemical values of these foods on human health and nutrition?

• How much is needed to consume to get the protective effects of phytochemicals? And its bioavailability?

• How widespread are these foods consumed in Russia? • If critically important to human health, how can the

collection be best managed and how can improvements in production of important varieties be scaled?

• How should the value of these foods be promoted and to whom in Russia? Does industry play a role?

One warning: The “Super” foods…ensuring the messages are right

Our challenge: How can our work influence the food industry to ensure locally sourced nutritious

foods are a part of programs?

• Goal of the program: To instill a basic understanding of nutritional culture among children, parents and teachers, and provide practical experience

• Target reach: 31 regions of Russia, with 3 more regions planned in 2011. Annually, over 350,000 children in 5,000 schools are involved in the programme, and in total has helped 3 million children from 30,000 schools to learn about good nutrition

“Good Nutrition Programme” for schools - Nestlé Russia

Thank you!

• Thank you to VIR – Sergey, Tatjana, Artem• The Centre de Recherche Public Gabriel

Lippmann – Jean Francois and Isabelle• The Global Crop Diversity Trust – Luigi Guarino• The Peoples of the Russian Federation• And to Sergey, our translator!