The African Food System and Its Interactions with Human Health and Nutrition

375 Pages·2010·22.61 MB·English

by  Per Pinstrup-Andersen

the
african food system and
its interaction
with
human health and nutrition

the
african food system and
its interaction
with
human health and nutrition
edited by
per pinstrup-andersen
published in cooperation
with the
united nations university
cornell university press ithaca and london
Copyright © 2010by Cornell University
All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book,
or parts thereof, must not be reproduced in any form without
permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address
Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512East State Street, Ithaca,
New York 14850.
First published 2010by Cornell University Press in cooperation
with the United Nations University
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
The African food system and its interaction with human health and
nutrition / edited by Per Pinstrup-Andersen.
p. cm.
“Published in cooperation with the United Nations University.”
Includes bibliographical references.
isbn978-0-8014-7692-1(pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Food supply—Africa, Sub-Saharan. 2. Nutrition—Africa,
Sub-Saharan. 3. Agricultural systems—Health aspects—Africa,
Sub-Saharan. 4. Food industry and trade—Health aspects—Africa,
Sub-Saharan. 5. Food security—Africa, Sub-Saharan. 6. Public
Health—Africa, Sub-Saharan. I. Pinstrup-Andersen, Per.
II. United Nations University. hd9017.a3572a35 2010
338.1´967—dc22 2010033393
contents
list of figures vii
list of tables ix
foreword xi
preface xiii
acknowledgments xvii
chapter 1
The African Food System and Human Health and Nutrition:
A Conceptual and Empirical Overview 1
Per Pinstrup-Andersen
chapter 2
The Nutrition Situation in Sub-Saharan Africa 14
Derrill D. Watson II and Per Pinstrup-Andersen
chapter 3
Disease Burdens of Sub-Saharan Africa and Their
Interactions with Malnutrition 34
Onesmo K. ole-MoiYoi
chapter 4
Animals as a Source of Human Diseases:
Historical Perspective and Future Health Risks for the African Population 58
E. Fuller Torrey
chapter 5
How AIDS Epidemics Interact with African Food Systems and
How to Improve the Response 77
Stuart Gillespie
chapter 6
Pest Management, Farmer Incomes and Health Risks in Sub-Saharan Africa:
Pesticides, Host Plant Resistance and Other Measures 109
Rebecca Nelson
chapter 7
Nutrition and the Environment:
Fundamental to Food Security in Africa 128
Anna Herforth
chapter 8
Food Safety as a Bridge between the Food System and
Human Health in Sub-Saharan Africa 161
Dorothy Nakimbugwe and Kathryn J. Boor
chapter 9
Population Dynamics and Future Food
Requirements in Sub-Saharan Africa 182
Barbara Boyle Torrey
chapter 10
Income and Food Transfers to Improve Human Health and Nutrition 199
Harold Alderman
chapter 11
The Impact of Poor Health and Nutrition on Labor Productivity, Poverty,
and Economic Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa 218
David E. Sahn
chapter 12
Food Systems and the Escape from Poverty and
Ill-Health Traps in Sub-Saharan Africa 242
Christopher B. Barrett
chapter 13
Strengthening the Role of Women in the Food Systems of Sub-Saharan Africa
to Achieve Nutrition and Health Goals 261
Laura K. Cramer and Speciosa K. Wandira
chapter 14
Bridging the Gap: Linking Agriculture and Health to
Achieve the Millennium Development Goals 279
Joachim von Braun, Marie T. Ruel, and Stuart Gillespie
references 305
contributors 353
figures
1.1 A food system 2
1.2 Interactions between food systems and human health 3
2.1 Deaths associated with malnutrition, 2002 16
2.2 Millions of people suffering from hunger globally, 2005 18
2.3 Millions of people suffering from hunger in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2005 18
2.4 Percentage of population suffering from hunger globally by developing-country
region, 1991, 1996, and 2005 19
2.5 Percentage of population suffering from hunger in Sub-Saharan Africa by region,
1991, 1996, and 2005 19
2.6 Millions of underweight children, 2000–07 20
2.7 Prevalence of underweight children by region, 2007 21
2.8 Millions of low-birth-weight children, 2000–07 22
2.9 Percentage of babies born with low birth weight by region, 2000–07 22
2.10 Progress toward meeting the WFS globally, 1991–2015 26
2.11 Progress toward the World Food Summit goal in Sub-Saharan Africa,
1991–2015 28
2.12 Progress toward meeting the WFS goal in Sub-Saharan Africa, by region 28
2.13 Change in millions of hungry people in Sub-Saharan Africa, by country,
1991–2005 29
5.1 Spirals within spirals: Interactions between food insecurity, malnutrition, and
HIV infection 80
5.2 The vicious circle of malnutrition and HIV 81
5.3 Adapting the livelihoods framework to HIV and AIDS 82
5.4 HIV and poverty in Africa 84
5.5 HIV and income inequality in Africa 84
5.6 The HIV timeline showing core strategies 98
7.1 The environment, food security, and food-seeking behavior 129
7.2 Average landholding size in selected African countries, 1960–69and 1990–99 134
7.3 Average annual nutrient depletion in Africa, 1993–95 136
7.4 A causal map of low agricultural productivity in Sub-Saharan Africa 137
7.5 Per capita food availability in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2003 142
7.6 Food quantities in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1987–2003 143
7.7 Pathways from agricultural diversity to dietary diversity 144
viii figures
9.1 Population growth in Africa, 1950–2005 184
9.2 Infant mortality rates, 1950–2005 185
9.3 Prevalence of undernutrition, 1970–2000 186
9.4 Childhood undernutrition, 2005 187
9.5 Total fertility rates, 1950–2005 193
9.6 Future population growth in Africa, 2010–50 195
11.1 Relationship between GDP per capita and life expectancy, 2000 224
12.1 Extreme poverty, 1981–2004 243
12.2 Extreme and ultra poverty, 2004 245
12.3 Accelerating agricultural growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1980–2005 259
13.1 Women’s obstacles to achieving agricultural growth 265
13.2 Policy options for strengthening women’s role in food systems 272
14.1 Number of ultra-poor people living on less than $0.50a day, 2004 282
14.2 Change in the proportion of the ultra-poor in different regions, 1990–2004 282
14.3 A conceptual framework of the linkages between agriculture and health 292
tables
2.1 Life expectancy and under-five mortality rate by region, 2000–07 16
2.2 Micronutrient deficiencies in Sub-Saharan Africa, by country, 1998–2004 24
2.3 Progress in Sub-Saharan Africa by goal (number of countries) 31
5.1 Re-viewing agriculture through an HIV lens 102
7.1 Components of the environment, how they affect human nutrition, and how they
are affected by human food-seeking behavior 130
9.1 Sub-Saharan African calories available per day, 2001–03(based on food
harvested) 190
9.2 Caloric requirements for Africa’s future population, 2000–50 192
A9.1 Estimated calorie requirements (in kilocalories) for each gender and age group at
different levels of physical activity 198
11.1 Prevalence of underweight preschool children (0–60months) in developing
countries, 1975–2005(%) 221
11.2 Infant mortality rate in developing countries, 1960–2005(deaths before age one
per 1,000live births) 222
11.3 Life expectancy in developing countries, 1960–2005 222
11.4 Estimated share of people below the $1-a-day poverty line (%) 223
11.5 World and regional estimates of productivity (output per worker, constant
2000US$ at PPP) 224
12.1 Participation in the staple foodgrains market in East and Southern Africa 250
14.1 Agriculture and health linkages in the MDGs 287