Ensuring the supply of and creating demand for a biofortified crop with a visible trait: lessons learned from the introduction of orange-fleshed sweet potato in drought-prone areas of Mozambique.
BACKGROUND
Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) is a promising biofortified crop for sub-Saharan Africa because it has high levels of provitamin A carotenoids, the formed vitamin A is bioavailable, and white-fleshed sweet potato is already widely grown.


OBJECTIVE
To examine whether farmers will adopt varieties with a distinct visible trait, young children will eat OFSP in sufficient quantities to improve vitamin A intake, OFSP can serve as an entry point for promoting a more diversified diet, and lessons can be drawn to assure sustained adoption.


METHODS
The 2-year quasi-experimental intervention study followed households and children (n = 741; mean age, 13 months at baseline) through two agricultural cycles in drought prone-areas of Mozambique.


RESULTS
OFSP is acceptable to farmers when introduced by using an integrated approach. In the second year, intervention children (n = 498) were more likely than control children (n = 243) to have consumed OFSP (54% vs. 4%), dark-green leaves (60% vs. 46%), or ripe papaya (65% vs. 42%) on 3 or more days in the previous week (p < .001 for all comparisons). Their vitamin A intakes were nearly eight times higher than those of control children (median, 426 vs. 56 1g RAE [retinol activity equivalents], p < .001). Diet diversification was limited by difficult agroecological conditions and low purchasing power. However, dietary diversity was higher among intervention than control children (32% vs. 9% consuming food from more than four groups; p < .001).


CONCLUSIONS
An integrated OFSP-based approach had a positive impact on the vitamin A intake of young children. A market development component and improved vine multiplication systems are recommended to assure sustained adoption.
Jan W Low was affiliated with the Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA. j.low@cgiar.org
Jan W
JW
Low
Mary
M
Arimond
Nadia
N
Osman
Benedito
B
Cunguara
Filipe
F
Zano
David
D
Tschirley
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003116:Color; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food / Q000032:analysis* / Q000592:standards; D027723:Ipomoea batatas / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D009073:Mozambique; D009752:Nutritional Status; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D012424:Rural Population; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control
D000975:Antioxidants; D014801:Vitamin A