Tackling Hidden Hunger By Yemi Olakitan

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Tackling Hidden Hunger

By Yemi Olakitan

      Hundreds of farmers gathered at Akinale, an ancient town in Ewekoro Local Government area of Ogun state recently to collect cassava stems that was delivered to them by HarvestPlus, a Washington based international organization, dedicated to eradicating ‘Hidden Hunger’ from the planet. According to Paul Ilona, Country Manager of Harvest Plus in Nigeria. Millions of people around the world including Nigeria suffer from ‘Hidden Hunger’ or micronutrient malnutrition. This means that they do not get enough micronutrients required to lead healthy productive lives from the foods that they eat regularly. According to him, Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals (such as vitamin A, zinc, and iron), which are absolutely essential to good health. Micronutrient malnutrition can lower IQ, cause stunting and blindness in children, lower resistance to disease in both children and adults, and increase risks for both mothers and infants during childbirth. Hidden Hunger might not be outwardly visible but it is often the cause of various illnesses.  These cassava stems have gone through biofortification and contain Vitamin A, which is highly essential to health and wellness.  Ilona explained this extensively in layman terms and in Yoruba language to the farmers who listened attentively.  ‘‘It is not enough to fill up the stomach. We must have adequate nutrients for healthier life’’ he said.

  According to him both children and adults suffer from hidden hunger and both need micronutrients to enjoy better health. HarvestPlus is willing to work with the Government, farmers and the private sector to significantly scale up vitamin A cassava dissemination in Nigeria.

    Traditional ruler of Akinale Oba Olufemi Ogunleye, the Towulade of Akinale who facilitated the event thanked Harvest Plus for making the cassava stems available to farmers. He said it was a very important milestone in Akinale because it was the first time the team is coming to Ogun state and Akinale was the first place on the list. He encouraged the farmers to take advantage of the new cassava and spread the good news to surrounding villages.

  Dr Samson Odedina of Envoy Envoy Consult and Agric Product Ltd, a major partner of Harvest Plus in Nigeria sad “that biofortified staple food crops such as vitamin A cassava can contribute immensely to health and wellness in Nigeria. He called on Ogun state Government and other stakeholders to show active involvement in making sure that more farmers receive such stems in large quantity in the state. According to him, the dissemination of vitamin A cassava was launched in Nigeria on July 30, 2012 under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the Federal Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akin Adesina, alongside in Akwa-Ibom state to over 2,000 farmers. ‘‘The project has now spread to eight states and Ogun is new on the list’’ he said.

    In a chat with Chief Salako Yawe, Baale of Jaguna village, he thanked the companies and expressed his appreciation for the good work done. Another Chief Isiaka Eleyele was also full of accolades for Harvest Plus and partners. He however requested that the organization to follow up on other towns and villages in Ogun state so that the new cassava can be embraced by all. The farmers were treated to a taste of the cooked Vitamin A cassava. There were cassava cakes, Fufu, Eba, cassava chips that were all prepared before hand for the crowd to taste.

   Harvest Plus Reports say, the vitamin A cassava can meet 25 percent of the daily vitamin A needs of consumers in a country where vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is a serious public health concern.  VAD affects nearly one in three Nigerian children under five, increasing their vulnerability to immune system weakness. The cassava is the culmination of work by scientists from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture and the National Root Crop Research Institute of Nigeria (NRCRI) under the HarvestPlus program. The project, led by HarvestPlus, has expanded to eight states, and expects to reach more than 100,000 farming households in a few years.

    HarvestPlus leads a global effort to improve nutrition and public health by developing and disseminating staple food crops that are rich in vitamins and minerals. The organisation work with public and private sector partners in more than 40 countries. Its science is carried out by 15 research centers in collaboration with hundreds of partner organizations around the world. The HarvestPlus program is coordinated by two of these centers – the International Center for Tropical Agriculture and the International Food Policy Research Institute.