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25 Jun 2008
Unit:
Wageningen University
Number:
N
INSTAPA, a major research project in Africa, was launched on 25-27 June at Wageningen University. The project is financed as part of the 7th Framework Programme of the European Commission.
The INSTAPA project – which stands for Improved Nutrition through STAPle foods in Africa – aims to contribute to the Millennium Development Goal of halving the proportion of people who suffer from hunger in the world by 2015. This can be achieved only when children who are born today are able to develop as fully as possible. However, many children in developing countries do not develop properly due to malnutrition. The process of alleviating malnutrition is proceeding very slowly, and is especially worrisome in Africa; the number of malnourished people in this region is actually increasing. It is not only the quantity of food, but also the quality that is at risk, especially the uptake of iron, zinc and vitamin A.
The INSTAPA project is focusing primarily on improving the quality of the staple foods in Africa. People in Africa primarily eat maize, millet and cassava. Although millet is actually the sixth most important crop in the world, it is still only grown by small, impoverished farmers. Improving these 'forgotten' crops will probably make the farmers and their families less dependent on the global market, with its rising food prices.
INSTAPA aims to improve the quality of staple foods in Africa by means of three strategies. First, varieties of the above crops will be sought which naturally contain higher levels of vitamins and minerals. One example is a cassava variety which naturally has a higher level of vitamin A. Now researchers must determine whether consuming the 'yellow' cassava actually results in improving the vitamin A status of children. In addition, researchers will have to determine whether people can accept the yellow cassava because the colour is different than that to which they are accustomed.
As a second strategy, the researchers will study the enrichment of products made from the crops, such as maize meal, which is a staple ingredient for many meals in Africa The third strategy is to determine whether the levels of available iron, zinc or vitamin A can be improved with specific preparation methods. INSTAPA will also examine the safety of the strategies, especially the effect of the strategies on illness and immunity of children.
In addition, it will be determined whether the improved crops contribute to the cognitive development of children. For example, the effect of iron and zinc tablets on the cognitive development of children is known, but it is unclear whether the uptake of these minerals from food can have a comparable effect; this aspect must be investigated. The INSTAPA project will be conducted by 11 institutes, of which four are from Europe (the Netherlands, Switzerland, France and England), one from the United States, and six universities and research institutes from Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria).
During the initial meeting of INSTAPA, all partners will be present to discuss the research programme and to make plans for the research activities in African countries.
Note to the editor
For more information, go to www.instapa.org. You can also contact Dr. ir. Inge Brouwer (coordinator of Instapa and researcher at the Sub-department of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University), e-mail: Inge.Brouwer@wur.nl, or Jac Niessen, science information officer of Wageningen UR, tel: 0317 485003, e-mail: jac.niessen@wur.nl.
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