Impact of Crop Diversification on Household Food and Nutrition Security in Southern and Central Mali

Many African countries, including Mali, depend on the production of a single or a limited range of crops for national food security. In Mali, this heavy reliance on a range of basic commodities or staple crops, or even just one, exacerbates multiple risks to agricultural production, rural livelihoods, and nutrition. With this in mind, the smart food campaign was initiated to strengthen the resilience and nutritional situation of households and peasant communities where the diet is mainly cereal-based and remains very undiversified and poor in essential micronutrients. As part of the campaign, our study aims to analyze the impact of agricultural diversification on food consumption and household nutritional security. The analysis uses survey data from 332 individuals randomly selected. Multinomial logistic regression and the Simpson diversity index were used to determine the index and estimate the determinants of crop diversification. The consumption score index weighted by consumption frequency and anthropometric indices (for children) were used to assess the nutritional status of households. The results show four types of strategies of diversification: 7.55% are cereals only, 5.66% combine millet–sorghum–groundnut, 41.51% combine millet–sorghum–groundnut–cowpea, and 45.28% combine millet–sorghum–groundnut–cowpea–maize. The estimation of the regression model shows that socioeconomic factors have a positive influence. With a consumption score index of 34 in the villages and 40.5 in Bamako, based on eight food groups, we find that the quality of food is insufficient in rural areas, but it is acceptable in the urban center of Bamako. Analysis of the nutritional status of children aged 6–48 months reveals that 30% of the surveyed population is in a situation of nutritional insecurity (all forms combined). To help improve crop diversification and the nutritional quality of foods, we suggest, among other things, subsidies and public spending tofacilitate access to inputs that allow the acquisition of a wider range of inputs and services, intensification of nutrition awareness, and education programs to maximize the incentive to consume nutritious foods from self-production and market purchases. Finally, we propose to facilitate access to technologies promoting food diversification and improving food and nutritional security, particularly in rural areas

Rice bran supplementation modulates growth, microbiota and metabolome in weaning infants: a clinical trial in Nicaragua and Mali

Rice bran supplementation provides nutrients, prebiotics and phytochemicals that enhance gut immunity, reduce enteric pathogens and diarrhea, and warrants attention for improvement of environmental enteric dysfunction (EED) in children. EED is a subclinical condition associated with stunting due to impaired nutrient absorption. This study investigated the effects of rice bran supplementation on weight for age and length for age z-scores (WAZ, LAZ), EED stool biomarkers, as well as microbiota and metabolome signatures in weaning infants from 6 to 12 months old that reside in Nicaragua and Mali. Healthy infants were randomized to a control (no intervention) or a rice bran group that received daily supplementation with increasing doses at each month (1–5 g/day). Stool microbiota were characterized using 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing. Stool metabolomes were analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid-chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry. Statistical comparisons were completed at 6, 8, and 12 months of age. Daily consumption of rice bran was safe and feasible to support changes in LAZ from 6–8 and 8–12 months of age in Nicaragua and Mali infants when compared to control. WAZ was significantly improved only for Mali infants at 8 and 12 months. Mali and Nicaraguan infants showed major differences in the overall gut microbiota and metabolome composition and structure at baseline, and thus each country cohort demonstrated distinct microbial and metabolite profile responses to rice bran supplementation when compared to control. Rice bran is a practical dietary intervention strategy that merits development in rice-growing regions that have a high prevalence of growth stunting due to malnutrition and diarrheal diseases. Rice is grown as a staple food, and the bran is used as animal feed or wasted in many low- and middle-income countries where EED and stunting is prevalent

Distinguishing the Impacts of Inadequate Prey and Vessel Traffic on an Endangered Killer Whale (Orcinus orca) Population

Managing endangered species often involves evaluating the relative impacts of multiple anthropogenic and ecological pressures. This challenge is particularly formidable for cetaceans, which spend the majority of their time underwater. Noninvasive physiological approaches can be especially informative in this regard. We used a combination of fecal thyroid (T3) and glucocorticoid (GC) hormone measures to assess two threats influencing the endangered southern resident killer whales (SRKW; Orcinus orca) that frequent the inland waters of British Columbia, Canada and Washington, U.S.A. Glucocorticoids increase in response to nutritional and psychological stress, whereas thyroid hormone declines in response to nutritional stress but is unaffected by psychological stress. The inadequate prey hypothesis argues that the killer whales have become prey limited due to reductions of their dominant prey, Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). The vessel impact hypothesis argues that high numbers of vessels in close proximity to the whales cause disturbance via psychological stress and/or impaired foraging ability. The GC and T3 measures supported the inadequate prey hypothesis. In particular, GC concentrations were negatively correlated with short-term changes in prey availability. Whereas, T3 concentrations varied by date and year in a manner that corresponded with more long-term prey availability. Physiological correlations with prey overshadowed any impacts of vessels since GCs were lowest during the peak in vessel abundance, which also coincided with the peak in salmon availability. Our results suggest that identification and recovery of strategic salmon populations in the SRKW diet are important to effectively promote SRKW recovery

La RSE : sensibilisation des entrepreneurs

International audienc

La Responsabilité Sociale de l’Entreprise : la sensibilisation des porteurs de projet par les structures d’accompagnement

International audienc

Responsabilité Sociale de l’Entreprise : création de sens et sensibilisation des entrepreneurs

International audienc

Responsabilité Sociale de l’Entreprise : création de sens et sensibilisation des entrepreneurs

International audienc

La Responsabilité Sociale de l’Entreprise : la sensibilisation des porteurs de projet par les structures d’accompagnement

International audienc