OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE FOR THIS RESOURCE BOOK
This is a resource book for use in sub-Saharan Africa1 by teachers of agriculture who wish to introduce into their training programmes aspects of the food chain that are related to food consumption and to nutrition. It has been produced as a contribution to the FAO programme on introducing a food and nutrition component into agricultural training curricula in Africa, in response to numerous requests from participants in workshops and seminars.
1 For ease of reference, sub-Saharan Africa (which excludes South Africa) is often simply referred to as Africa in the text. The grouping of countries in sub-Saharan Africa is given in Annex 2. Whenever possible, data are provided for individual countries or aggregated for sub-Saharan Africa as a whole. In cases where data are available only in aggregated form for continental Africa as a whose (as is the case with statistics on the prevalence of malnutrition derived from the WHO Global Database on Child Growth), this is indicated in the text. The WHO grouping of countries in Africa is also included in Annex 2.
The resource book is designed for use by trainers in preparing their teaching material; it is not intended for direct use by students. It contains both resource material, in the form of tables, figures and boxes, and text linking the resource material under a number of topics. It is not expected that this text will be transcribed directly as teaching handouts; its purpose is to provide the trainer with information relevant to sub-Saharan Africa, based on which specific, locally based examples can be identified and developed to illustrate the concepts.
The resource material has been selected from the widest possible range of different African countries (mainly English-speaking) and ecological regions. However, it is inevitable that some countries are better represented than others because of the inequitable distribution of nutritional information and activities in the different regions. Thus it is essential that this material be supplemented, wherever possible, by local examples. The collection and collation of such examples can often serve as a useful training exercise for students. A list of addresses for international organizations and sources of material is provided in Annex 1.
The book is divided into nine chapters, whose topics are integrated through extensive cross-referencing. The sequence of presentation is such that a group of topics may be taught together as a complete course, or topics may be taught independently of the given sequence, in any logical order that suits the curriculum requirements of the educator. The book is intended to be used flexibly.
INTENDED USERS AND LEVELS OF PRESENTATION
To meet all of the resource needs for different academic levels and types of programmes in one volume, for the whole of Africa, is clearly impractical. Compromise was needed. Thus, topics related to policies and economic issues at the national and international levels are presented in a format appropriate to the responsibilities and level of understanding of policy-makers; accordingly, these chapters could form the basis for the development of an in-service seminar or workshop for participants from the highest levels of government. However, if the same concepts are deemed essential for rural development workers with lower educational qualifications, then some simplification and adaptation of the training material will be necessary.
Conversely, other topics of a more practical nature, such as the promotion of home gardens, are presented using a field-based approach, as this appears to be more relevant to the tasks and therefore to the training content of courses designed for agricultural extension agents. It is not intended that all chapters be taught in all programmes. This resource book is a menu, not a syllabus. However, it is advised that all teachers study Chapters 1 and 2, as these provide definitions of technical terms such as nutrition, introduce concepts such as household food security, and form the background to the chapters that follow.
The resource book may be used in the following range of programmes:
· pre-service education of agriculturists at diploma and bachelor's degree levels in fields such as general agriculture, agricultural extension and agricultural education;
· in-service training courses, workshops and seminars for agricultural extension agents, rural development workers, administrators of agriculture and rural development programmes and government policy-makers in food, nutrition and agriculture;
· in-service education of secondary-school teachers of agriculture;
· in-service education of members of the faculty of agriculture in colleges and universities.
SELECTING AND ADAPTING MATERIAL TO MEET SPECIFIC EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
The educational objectives of the trainer should be based on the needs of the course participants. The following are some examples of how the resource book can be used in developing various programmes.
A short in-service training programme for agricultural extension officers in general agriculture
Objective: To integrate some nutritional considerations into the normal tasks of the extension officer at community level.
Resource selection: Material from the following sections may be selected, depending on the identified tasks of the extension officers and the length of the training programme.
Chapter 5
· Food diversification for stable access and a sustainable food supply
· Gardening for food
· Small livestock and poultry keeping
Chapter 6
· Post-harvest practices at household level
· Post-harvest handling and storage
· Home- and village-based food preservation
Chapter 7
· Planning a diet and feeding a family
Chapter 5
· Promoting diversification of diets
It will also be necessary to supplement such skill-oriented topics with some basic information on human nutrition and malnutrition from Chapters 7 and 8, depending on the background of the trainees. However, it will often be more effective to integrate this information into the skill-oriented topics where it will be seen as relevant, rather than to teach it as separate blocks. For example, information on requirements for vitamin A and symptoms of its deficiency could conveniently be discussed under the topic "Gardening for food".
An in-service education programme for secondary-school teachers of agriculture
Objective: To enable teachers of agriculture in schools to integrate nutrition in agricultural topics and encourage food- and agriculture-related community nutrition activities.
Resource selection: The following sections may be appropriate.
Chapter 7
· Vulnerable periods in the life cycle and special energy and nutrient needs
· African diets and diet composition
Chapter 5
· Food diversification for stable access and a sustainable food supply
· Gardening for food
Chapter 6
· Post-harvest handling and storage
· Home- and village-based food preservation
Chapter 5
· Promoting diversification of diets
Chapter 9
· Nutrition education in schools
A seminar for policy-makers considering the merits of drawing up a national food and nutrition plan of action for inclusion in the next development plan
Objective: To enable policy-makers to assess the nutritional consequences of decisions taken in their spheres of influence.
Resource selection: Relevant material may be taken from the following sections. Care should be taken to ensure that up-to-date national statistics are used to illustrate the major concepts.
Chapter 2
· National policies affecting food security and nutrition
Chapter 3
· Concepts in household food security
Chapter 4
· Agriculture in transition: factors affecting food security
· Food industries and small-scale processing
· Urbanization and changing patterns of food demand
Chapter 5
· Food diversification for stable access and a sustainable food supply
Chapter 8
· Micronutrient malnutrition: mineral and vitamin deficiency disorders
· Preventing and combating micronutrient malnutrition through a comprehensive approach
Some options for members of the faculty of agriculture in colleges and universities who wish to introduce some nutrition topics into their curricula
Specific topics may be introduced as part of existing undergraduate options.
In a curriculum on plant production, the inclusion of one or more of the following sections could be included.
Chapter 4
· Production potentials and crop selection
· Crop specialization and food security
· Commercialization of agriculture: potential effects on household food security
Teachers of horticulture might wish to include the following.
Chapter 5
· Improving mixed cropping technologies through farming systems studies and adaptive research
· Support services and advocacy for mixed cropping
· Promotion of underexploited traditional food crops
· Gardening for food
· Urban agriculture
A curriculum in agricultural economics might also encompass the following factors related to the nutrition security of families at household level.
Chapter 3
· The food system and household food security
· Concepts in household food security
· Health factors and their impact on nutrition
Chapter 2
· HIV/AIDS and its impact on household food security and nutrition
Chapter 3
· Women's work load and the consequences for nutrition
The possibilities for integrating nutritional considerations into the productive aspects of agriculture are extensive. Effectiveness depends on approach and attitude, rather than simply adding more academic subjects to the training. Regardless of the approach adopted, the work will be more challenging, but also exciting, for both the teaching staff and the students.
