Effects of Small Sustainable Land Use Systems in Developing Countries

Especially when viewed in the context of the ongoing market liberalization, small land use systems are often considered to be inefficient in terms of commodity production because further externalities, which might also be welfare-relevant, are not sufficiently accounted for. The assessment of all outputs connected with small land use systems can deliver a more comprehensive view on their economic, ecological and sociocultural impacts. This paper reports on a case study carried out in India which investigated the outputs of small sustainable land use systems. Based on the empirical evidences, we show the high complexity of outputs—commodities and externalities—linked with small sustainable land use systems in developing countries.small sustainable land use systems, agricultural outputs, externalities, developing countries

Sustainability impact assessment for improved food security. The benefit of local stakeholder participation.

Die Ernährungssicherung der Bevölkerung im ländlichen Raum in Sub-Sahara Afrika ist eine der dringlichsten Herausforderungen unserer Zeit. Der Großteil der Bevölkerung ist von der eigenen landwirtschaftlichen Produktion für die Ernährung und die Existenzsicherung abhängig. Eine nachhaltige Entwicklung kleinbäuerlicher Landwirtschaft ist daher eine Grundvoraussetzung für Ernährungssicherung und Armutsbekämpfung. Eine Vielzahl von Entwicklungsmaßnahmen zielt auf die Verbesserung der Agrarproduktion von Kleinbauern und Kleinbäuerinnen ab, um die Ernährungssituation zu verbessern. Die Konsequenzen dieser Entwicklungsmaßnahmen sind oft vielfältig; neben gewollten, intendierten Wirkungen, können sich Entwicklungsmaßnahmen auch negativ auswirken. Daher ist es essentiell ein ex-ante impact assessment vor der Umsetzung durchzuführen, um eventuelle negative Auswirkungen frühzeitig zu identifizieren und die geplanten Maßnahmen dementsprechend anzupassen. Der theoretische Diskurs hinsichtlich der Charakteristika von ex-ante sustainability impact assessment ist sehr umfassend erarbeitet. Hier werden vor allem die gleichwertige Integration der drei Nachhaltigkeitsdimensionen (Soziales, Wirtschaft und Ökologie), die aktive Partizipation verschiedener Stakeholder auf unterschiedlichen Ebenen und der Austausch- und Lernprozess in den Mittelpunkt gerückt. In der Praxis wird die lokale Bevölkerung hingegen selten in ex-ante Wirkungsanalysen von geplanten Entwicklungsmaßnahmen involviert. Auch wenn in sustainability impact assessment ein interaktiver Einbezug der lokalen Bevölkerung unterstrichen wird, existieren kaum einfach anwendbare methodische Vorgehensweisen, um dies durchzuführen. Zudem gibt es bisher nur wenige Fallstudien, die das Einbeziehen von lokalen Stakeholdern beschreiben, systematisch analysieren und den Mehrwert für die Planung von landwirtschaftlichen Entwicklungsmaßnahmen herausstellen. Die vorliegende Arbeit hat zum Ziel diese Forschungslücke zu schließen. Im Rahmen der Dissertation wurde ein methodischer Ansatz für ein ex-ante sustainability impact assessment für die Anwendung mit der lokalen Bevölkerung entwickelt. Diese Methode wurde angewendet, um die positiven und negativen Auswirkungen von geplanten landwirtschaftlichen Entwicklungsmaßnahmen aus Sicht der Kleinbauern und Kleinbäuerinnen zu analysieren. Die Forschung wurde in vier Dörfern im semi-ariden Dodoma und im semi-humiden Morogoro in Tansania durchgeführt.Food security remains a major challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sustainable agricultural development is fundamental for food security and poverty alleviation, notably in developing countries. Many development initiatives focus on enhancing smallholder production because the majority of poor people in developing countries live in rural areas where agriculture is the main source of livelihood. However, the consequences of these development initiatives are often diverse, having intended effects as well as unforeseen adverse impacts. Therefore, there is a need to assess development strategies/projects prior to their implementation to reduce the risk of possible negative impacts and to allow for adjustments, if necessary. This can be achieved by applying ex-ante sustainability impact assessment. The theoretical discourse on ex-ante sustainability impact assessment is comprehensive, emphasising the equal integration of all three sustainability dimensions (social, economic and environmental), the active involvement of stakeholders at every step of the assessment process and a focus on exchange and learning among the involved stakeholders. In practice, local communities are rarely involved in ex-ante impact assessment. Moreover, despite a strong emphasis on their involvement in theory, there remains a lack of easily applicable frameworks for sustainability impact assessment. Hence, there are only few concrete case studies having analysed the value added by applying sustainability impact assessment with local stakeholders and its benefit for planning agricultural measures to enhance food security and sustainable development. This PhD thesis closes the gap by developing and applying an ex-ante impact assessment approach that is based upon the Framework for Participatory Impact Assessment (FoPIA) method and is applicable at small-scale farmer level in the development context. The framework was applied to assess the sustainability of upgrading strategies along the farmers’ food value chains to improve food security in rural Tanzania at four contrasting case study villages in the semi-arid Dodoma Region and the semi-humid Morogoro Region

Nutritional and health status of children 15 months after integrated school garden, nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene interventions: a cluster-randomised controlled trial in Nepal

It has been suggested that specific interventions delivered through the education sector in low- and middle-income countries might improve children's health and wellbeing. This cluster-randomised controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effects of a school garden programme and complementary nutrition, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions on children's health and nutritional status in two districts of Nepal.; The trial included 682 children aged 8-17 years from 12 schools. The schools were randomly allocated to one of three interventions: (a) school garden programme (SG; 4 schools, n = 172 children); (b) school garden programme with complementary WASH, health and nutrition interventions (SG+; 4 schools, n = 197 children); and (c) no specific intervention (control; 4 schools, n = 313 children). The same field and laboratory procedures were employed at the baseline (March 2015) and end-line (June 2016) surveys. Questionnaires were administered to evaluate WASH conditions at schools and households. Water quality was assessed using a Delagua kit. Dietary intake was determined using food frequency and 24-h recall questionnaire. Haemoglobin levels were measured using HemoCue digital device and used as a proxy for anaemia. Stool samples were subjected to a suite of copro-microscopic diagnostic methods for detection of intestinal protozoa and helminths. The changes in key indicators between the baseline and end-line surveys were analysed by mixed logistic and linear regression models.; Stunting was slightly lowered in SG+ (19.9 to 18.3%; p = 0.92) and in the control (19.7 to 18.9%). Anaemia slightly decreased in SG+ (33.0 to 32.0%; p < 0.01) and markedly increased in the control (22.7 to 41.3%; p < 0.01), a minor decline was found in the control (43.9 to 42.4%). Handwashing with soap before eating strongly increased in SG+ (from 74.1 to 96.9%; p = 0.01, compared to control where only a slight increase was observed from 78.0 to 84.0%). A similar observation was made for handwashing after defecation (increase from 77.2 to 99.0% in SG+ versus 78.0 to 91.9% in control, p = 0.15).; An integrated intervention consisting of school garden, WASH, nutrition and health components (SG+) increased children's fruit and vegetable consumption, decreased intestinal parasitic infections and improved hygiene behaviours.; ISRCTN17968589 (date assigned: 17 July 2015)

Prevalence and risk factors of undernutrition among schoolchildren in the Plateau Central and Centre-Ouest regions of Burkina Faso

Multiple factors determine children's nutritional status, including energy and nutrient intake, recurrent infectious diseases, access (or lack thereof) to clean water and improved sanitation, and hygiene practices, among others. The "Vegetables go to School: improving nutrition through agricultural diversification" (VgtS) project implements an integrated school garden programme in five countries, including Burkina Faso. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of undernutrition and its risk factors among schoolchildren in Burkina Faso before the start of the project.; In February 2015, a cross-sectional survey was carried out among 455 randomly selected children, aged 8-14 years, in eight schools in the Plateau Central and Centre-Ouest regions of Burkina Faso. Nutritional status was determined by anthropometric assessment. Helminth and intestinal protozoa infections were assessed using the Kato-Katz and a formalin-ether concentration method. A urine filtration technique was used to identify Schistosoma haematobium eggs. Prevalence of anaemia was determined by measuring haemoglobin levels in finger-prick blood samples. Questionnaires were administered to children to determine their knowledge of nutrition and health and their related attitudes and practices (KAP). Questionnaires were also administered to the children's caregivers to identify basic household socio-demographic and economic characteristics, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) conditions. To determine the factors associated with schoolchildren's nutritional status, mixed logistic regression models were used. Differences and associations were considered statistically significant if P-values were below 0.05.; Complete datasets were available for 385 children. The prevalence of undernutrition, stunting and thinness were 35.1%, 29.4% and 11.2%, respectively. The multivariable analysis revealed that undernutrition was associated with older age (i.e. 12-14 years compared to &lt;12 years; adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 3.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.12-5.62, P &lt; 0.001), multiple pathogenic parasitic infections (aOR = 1.87, 95% CI 1.02-3.43, P = 0.044) and with moderate and severe anaemia in children (aOR = 2.52, 95% CI 1.25-5.08, P = 0.010).; We found high prevalence of undernutrition among the children surveyed in the two study regions of Burkina Faso. We further observed that undernutrition, anaemia and parasitic infections were strongly associated. In view of these findings, concerted efforts are needed to address undernutrition and associated risk factors among school-aged children. As part of the VgtS project, WASH, health education and nutritional interventions will be implemented with the goal to improve children's health.; ISRCTN17968589 (date assigned: 17 July 2015)

Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections and associated risk factors among schoolchildren in the Plateau Central and Centre-Ouest regions of Burkina Faso

BACKGROUND: Unsafe drinking water, unimproved sanitation and lack of hygiene pose health risks, particularly to children in low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of intestinal parasitic infections in school-aged children in two regions of Burkina Faso. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in February 2015 with 385 children aged 8-14 years from eight randomly selected schools in the Plateau Central and Centre-Ouest regions of Burkina Faso. Stool samples were subjected to the Kato-Katz and a formalin-ether concentration method for the diagnosis of helminths and intestinal protozoa infections. Urine samples were examined with a urine filtration technique for Schistosoma haematobium eggs. Water samples from community sources (n = 37), children's households (n = 95) and children's drinking water cups (n = 113) were analysed for contamination with coliform bacteria and faecal streptococci. Data on individual and family-level risk factors were obtained using a questionnaire. Mixed logistic regression models were employed to determine factors associated with intestinal parasitic infections in schoolchildren. RESULTS: Intestinal parasitic infections were highly prevalent; 84.7 % of the children harboured intestinal protozoa, while helminth infections were diagnosed in 10.7 % of the children. We found significantly lower odds of pathogenic intestinal protozoa infection (Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar and Giardia intestinalis) among children from the Plateau Central, compared to the Centre-Ouest region (P < 0.001). Children from households with "freely roaming domestic animals" (P = 0.008), particularly dogs (P = 0.016) showed higher odds of G. intestinalis, and children reporting exposure to freshwater sources through domestic chores had higher odds of S. haematobium infection compared to children without this water contact activity (P = 0.035). Water quality, household drinking water source and storage did not emerge as significant risk factors for intestinal parasitic infections in children. CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal protozoa but not helminths were highly prevalent among schoolchildren in randomly selected schools in two regions of Burkina Faso. Our findings call for specific public health measures tailored to school-aged children and rural communities in this part of Burkina Faso. It will be interesting to assess the effect of water, sanitation and hygiene interventions on the transmission of intestinal parasitic infections

Intestinal parasite infections and associated risk factors among schoolchildren in Dolakha and Ramechhap districts, Nepal: a cross-sectional study

Infections with soil-transmitted helminths and pathogenic intestinal protozoa pose a considerable public health burden, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, including Nepal. We assessed the extent of intestinal parasite infections among schoolchildren in two districts of Nepal and determined underlying risk factors.; A cross-sectional survey was conducted between March and May 2015 in the districts of Dolakha and Ramechhap, Nepal. A total of 708 children, aged 8-16 years from 16 purposively selected schools, were enrolled. Each child provided a single stool sample that was subjected to a suite of copro-microscopic diagnoses for intestinal protozoa and helminths. Drinking water samples from different sources at schools (n = 29), community places (n = 43) and households (n = 562) were analysed for contamination with thermotolerant coliforms (TTC). A questionnaire was administered to determine individual- and household-level risk factors of intestinal parasite infections. Self-reported symptoms were assessed and a clinical examination was undertaken by a physician. Haemoglobin was measured and used as a proxy for anaemia. Mixed logistic regression models were applied to investigate associations.; The overall prevalence of intestinal parasite infections was 39.7%. Trichuris trichiura (30.9%), Giardia intestinalis (30.5%) and hookworm (30.2%) were the predominant intestinal parasite infections. Children from households lacking soap for handwashing were at higher odds of intestinal parasite infections than children who had soap [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.81; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13-2.89; P = 0.01]. Children from households without freely roaming domestic animals showed lower odds of G. intestinalis compared to children from households with freely roaming animals (aOR 0.52; 95% CI: 0.33-0.83; P = 0.01). One out of three (31.0%) children suffered from fever and 22.4% had watery diarrhoea within a two-week recall period. Anaemia was diagnosed in 23.6% of the children. Water contamination with TTC showed no clear association with intestinal parasite infection.; Intestinal parasites are common among schoolchildren in the two surveyed districts of Nepal. An important risk factor was lack of soap for handwashing. Our findings call for efforts to control intestinal parasite infection and emphasis should be placed on improvements in water, sanitation and hygiene interventions.; ISRCTN17968589 (date assigned: 17 July 2015)

Generation of a mutator parasite to drive resistome discovery in Plasmodium falciparum

In vitro evolution of drug resistance is a powerful approach for identifying antimalarial targets, however, key obstacles to eliciting resistance are the parasite inoculum size and mutation rate. Here we sought to increase parasite genetic diversity to potentiate resistance selections by editing catalytic residues of Plasmodium falciparum DNA polymerase δ. Mutation accumulation assays reveal a ~5–8 fold elevation in the mutation rate, with an increase of 13–28 fold in drug-pressured lines. Upon challenge with the spiroindolone PfATP4-inhibitor KAE609, high-level resistance is obtained more rapidly and at lower inocula than wild-type parasites. Selections also yield mutants with resistance to an “irresistible” compound, MMV665794 that failed to yield resistance with other strains. We validate mutations in a previously uncharacterised gene, PF3D7_1359900, which we term quinoxaline resistance protein (QRP1), as causal for resistance to MMV665794 and a panel of quinoxaline analogues. The increased genetic repertoire available to this “mutator” parasite can be leveraged to drive P. falciparum resistome discovery