Novel Foods and Sustainability as Means to Counteract Malnutrition in Madagascar

Abstract

Although the trends of international reports show an increase in overweight and obesity, even in developing countries, there are still areas of the world, such as Sub-Saharan Africa, strongly affected by undernutrition. Specifically, in Madagascar, the percentage of stunted children under 5 is extremely high. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to increase the risk of all forms of malnutrition, especially in low-income countries, including Madagascar, with serious intergenerational repercussions. This narrative review aims at investigating eating habits and cooking methods of the Malagasy population, addressing sustainable healthy diets through promotion of novel foods. While novel foods are a recent concept, there are data that describe how they may contribute to counteract food insecurity and malnutrition considering context and place. Efforts to promote native, traditional foods as Moringa oleifera, an indigenous plant in Asia and Africa including Madagascar, rich in protein and micronutrients, as well as edible insects, alternative sustainable source of protein, lipids, iron, and zinc, would provide not only nutritional but also cultural and economic benefits. The potential synergies between food traditions and agroecology have the potential to impact health addressing larger issues of sustainability and food security. Regional, national, and international policies are needed to develop and support one health approach actions.

Finding food in the hunger season: A mixed methods approach to understanding wild plant foods in relation to food security and dietary diversity in southeastern Madagascar

“…There were no reports of bushmeat consumption, despite recent alerts raised by American researchers of increased lemur hunting within the reserve (M. Donohue, personal communication, Feb. 2020), and previous documented cases of subsistence hunting of lemurs and tenrecs (Johnson and Overdorff, 1999). Though entomophagy (insect consumption) is also part of Malagasy culinary tradition (Borgerson et al, 2021;Conti et al, 2021b), our data does not reflect this.…”

An overview of the nutritional status of childbearing age women, children and adolescents living in a rural area of Madagascar: preliminary results of the Tany Vao project

“…Given the developmental plasticity of early life ( 11 ) , and the intergenerational impact of adverse nutrition exposures, the first 1000 d are a critical window for interventions through reformation, conservation and efficient use of local environmental ( 6 ) . In Madagascar, the great variety and quantity of natural resources could represent a potential solution to improve the health condition of the local population, especially for those living in rural areas with low access to food supplies ( 10 , 14 ) .…”

Wild Foods Are Positively Associated with Diet Diversity and Child Growth in a Protected Forest Area of Madagascar

“…Entomophagy is practiced in Madagascar consistent with patterns of insect categories found globally [ 59 , 60 ]. Insects are rich in protein and minerals and could be a more affordable, sustainable alternative during food-insecure seasons if concerns for allergies, parasite infection, and environmental contaminants are addressed [ [61] , [62] , [63] , [64] ]. Ultimately if gleaned sustainably and safely to minimize zoonotic disease risk [ 65 ], wild ASF, leafy greens, and tree fruits could be leveraged to bridge periods of food insecurity.…”