Sustainable land management through market oriented commodity development: Case studies from Ethiopia

Land degradation has been identified as severe environmental problem in Ethiopia, especially since the early 1970s. Because there is significant degradation on cultivated lands in Ethiopia, there is potentially high payoff to addressing degradation in the country. In this paper we focus mainly on the effect of short-term benefits to farmers and the explicit considerations of the linkages between natural resource management and market-oriented commodity development on the adoption and scaling out of sustainable land management practices. We hypothesize that linking natural resource management with market-oriented commodity development enhances sustainable land management by providing farmers with short-term benefits. We test this hypothesis with analysis of case studies of four districts in Ethiopia. Two of the case studies deal with the linkage between grazing land development and market-oriented livestock development, and the other two deal with the linkage between conservation agriculture and market-oriented crop production. Results indicate that, indeed, direct linkages of natural resource management with market-oriented commodity development that have profitable market opportunities can enhance sustainable land management. Results imply that participatory approaches to the appraisal of community resources, identification and prioritization of key constraints of commodity development, and implementation of interventions greatly facilitate adoption and scaling out of interventions

Micropropagation of banana varieties (Musa spp.) using shoot-tip culture

A study was carried out at the Tissue Culture Laboratory of Melkassa Agricultural Research Centre, Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) to investigate the effects of different types and concentrations of cytokinins and auxins on shoot initiation and multiplication, and in vitro shoot rooting of three banana varieties using shoot-tip explants. Shoot initiation was greater on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with 3 mg/l N6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) for Dwarf and Giant Cavendish while 2 mg/l for Poyo varieties. Among the different concentrations of plant growth regulators (PGR) tested, MS medium supplemented with combinations of BAP and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) at 3+0.4, 4+0.4 and 3+0.2 mg/l for Dwarf, Giant and Poyo respectively, were best combinations for high rates of shoot proliferation and elongation. Further multiplication of shoots required up to 5 times subculturing of 1 month each on the same media combination. In this study, about 3-fold multiplication rate was achieved during every subculture. Better rooting was obtained when the shoots were cultured on MS medium with 2.12 mg/l α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) for Dwarf and Giant while 1.74 mg/l indol-3-butyric acid (IBA) for Poyo. In vitro rooted plantlets were transferred to the lathouse for acclimatization and hardening. The best growth was recorded for plantlets transplanted on potting media containing a 3:1 ratio (v/v) of sugarcane filter cake and sand. The hardened plants were transferred and well established to the field.Keywords: Bananas, Musa spp., micropropagation, shoot-tip, plant growth regulator

Ethiopia : social and political issues

The complete book of eleven chapters is presented in four sections, respectively covering issues related to governance, health, gender and land. This document encompasses Chapters 1 and 2, which contextualize issues through provision of background history and politics of Ethiopia (Chapter1); and ethnicity, language and education (Chapter2)

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

Mapping local patterns of childhood overweight and wasting in low- and middle-income countries between 2000 and 2017

A double burden of malnutrition occurs when individuals, household members or communities experience both undernutrition and overweight. Here, we show geospatial estimates of overweight and wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of age in 105 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 2000 to 2017 and aggregate these to policy-relevant administrative units. Wasting decreased overall across LMICs between 2000 and 2017, from 8.4% (62.3 (55.1–70.8) million) to 6.4% (58.3 (47.6–70.7) million), but is predicted to remain above the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target of <5% in over half of LMICs by 2025. Prevalence of overweight increased from 5.2% (30 (22.8–38.5) million) in 2000 to 6.0% (55.5 (44.8–67.9) million) children aged under 5 years in 2017. Areas most affected by double burden of malnutrition were located in Indonesia, Thailand, southeastern China, Botswana, Cameroon and central Nigeria. Our estimates provide a new perspective to researchers, policy makers and public health agencies in their efforts to address this global childhood syndemic

Isolation and screening of yeast starters from ersho samples collected from different parts of Ethiopia and determination of their potential role for bread production

ABSTRACTErsho, an undefined starter culture used for Ethiopian injera production, is well-known as a source of yeasts. However, there has not been negligible research done on the use of yeasts isolated from ersho samples for making bread. So, the present study was aimed at isolating and screening yeasts from ersho samples and evaluating their impact on the nutritional, microbial, and sensory quality of bread. A total of 55 ersho samples were collected from different locations in Ethiopia. An experimental research design was used. Three yeast isolates (4A, 14D, and 54A) were selected from a total of 220 yeast isolates. Yeast isolates 4A, 14D, 54A, 14D54A, and bakery yeast were used to make BY1, BY2, BY3, BY4, and control breads, respectively. Compared to other breads, BY4 exhibited superior qualities. Protein, TCC (total coliform count), TVC (total viable count), and TFC (total fungal count) of control bread were 13.56%, 0, 3.1, and 2.1 log cfu/g, respectively. Protein,TCC, TVC, and TFC of BY4 bread were 14.84%, 0, 2.4, and 1.6 log cfu/g, respectively. Color, texture, taste, odor, and overall acceptability mean scores of control bread were 6.6, 6.7, 6.9, 7.1, and 6.9, respectively, while those of BY4 bread were 6.8, 7.2, 7.2, 7.3, and 7.3, respectively. The shelf lives of the control and BY4 breads were 4 and 6 days, respectively. The results of the present study indicate that the wild yeasts isolated from the ersho samples can be used for the development of bakery yeast

In vitro evaluation of probiotic properties of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria isolated from ersho samples collected from different parts of Ethiopia

ABSTRACTErsho is an undefined starter culture used for Ethiopian injera production, and it is a good source of yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). However, few researchers have been done on the characterization of yeasts and LAB from ersho samples as a source of probiotics. The objective of the current work was to isolate and screen yeasts and LAB from ersho samples and in vitro characterization of their probiotic properties. An experimental research design was used. A total of 55 ersho samples were collected. Based on the ersho samples, 220 yeast colonies and 220 LAB colonies were isolated and purified. For the probiotic characterization, three yeasts (4A, 14D, 54A) and three LAB (1A, 13E, and 55A) were chosen. The isolates 4A, 14D, 54A, 1A, 13E, and 55A were identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae KRSAN1, Saccharomyces cerevisiae JYC2577, Kazachstania humilis, Enterococcus lactis, Lactobacillus paracasei, and Lactobacillus species, respectively. All the isolates showed positive probiotic characteristics. They had very good acid resistance (percentage survival > 80%), high bile salt resistance (percentage survival > 140%), high cell surface hydrophobicity (>40%), high levels of auto-aggregation (>40%), variable co-aggregation with pathogens (ranged between 42% and 72%), variable antimicrobial activity (clear halo zone ranged from 4.0 to 31 mm), and variable antibiotic resistance responses. The results indicated that the ersho samples can be used as yeast and LAB sources for developing food and probiotic starter cultures

Determinants of nutritional status among primary school students in Dilla Town; Application of an ordinal logistic regression model

Background: One of the most frequent reasons for children’s poor physical and mental development is malnutrition, becoming a more significant issue in most developing nations, including Ethiopia. Prior research used multiple anthropometric measurements separately to pinpoint undernutrition concerns in children. However, the impact of each explanatory variable on a single response category was not considered in these investigations. This study used a single composite index of anthropometric parameters to identify the factors affecting elementary school students' nutritional condition. Methods: In Dilla, Ethiopia, 494 primary school students took part in a cross-sectional institutional survey during the 2021 academic year. Principal component analysis was used to create a single composite measure of nutritional status using z-scores for the anthropometric indices of height-for-age and body mass index-for-age. The relative effectiveness of a partial proportional odds model was compared with several other ordinal regression models to identify the important variables for children’s nutritional status. Results: 27.94% of primary school students were undernourished (7.29% severely and 20.65% moderately). According to the fitted partial proportional odds model, the mother’s education level (secondary or higher) was positively correlated with the nutritional status of primary school students, given that in this case the students ate three or more times per day and had a high dietary diversity score (OR = 5.94; CI: 2.2–16.0). Nevertheless, there was a negative correlation between larger family size (OR = 0.56; CI: 0.32–0.97), unprotected groundwater (OR = 0.76; CI: 0.6–0.96), and severely food insecure households (OR = 0.3; CI: 0.14–0.68). Conclusion: In Dilla, Ethiopia, undernutrition among primary school students is a serious issue. It is essential to implement nutrition education and school feeding programs, improve drinking water sources, and boost the community’s economy to alleviate the problems