Nutrition-sensitive aquaculture: lessons from Bangladesh
Presenter: Rumana AkterNutrition CoordinatorWorldFish, Bangladesh and South Asia
Nutritional Situation in Bangladesh
• Bangladesh has made impressive progress in reducing undernutrition.
• But micronutrient adequacy among young children and women in rural Bangladesh is alarmingly low.
• Micronutrients deficiency accounts for USD 7.9 billion losses in national GDP.
Micronutrient adequacy among women and young children in Bangladesh
Nutrient Children Women
Vitamin A 7%
Folate 3%
Iron 22% 16%
Calcium None
Zinc 66% 43%
Vitamin A, folate, riboflavin, vitamin B 12,
calcium
≤ 3%
Intra-household food allocation among women and men
Food Security and Nutrition Surveillance project, 2013
Bangladesh has made great strides in aquaculture in the past 25 years
Focus on:
• Production and productivity
• Large fish
• Men in aquaculture
• Household income
FTF Aqua Component: Household Pond Aquaculture
Production Technology:
• Polyculture of carp (large fish) and nutrient-rich small fish, carried out by both men and women
Focus on:
• Partial frequent harvesting of small amounts of small fish
• Household consumption, especially in women and young children
• Sale of carp for household income
Aquaculture - Nutrition Linkages Package in FTF Aqua
Package components:
• Pond polyculture of carps and small fish
• Vegetable production in homestead garden and on dyke
• Promotion of micronutrient-rich small fish and vegetables consumption, especially in women, adolescent girls and young children
• Behaviour change communication (ENA and EHA)
• Gender norms, attitudes and practices
• Monitoring and evaluation
Small Fish• Irreplaceable Animal-source
Food• Essential Micronutrients:
Minerals and Vitamins• Animal Protein• Essential Fats
• Common Food eaten with Rice• Cooked with Vegetables, Oil and
Spices, further Improving Diet Diversity
• Enhances Mineral Bioavailability from Foods in the Meal
• Processed (dried), Stored –Prolonging duration of consumption, reaching non-fish producing areas.
Survey Description
• Cross sectional survey of 524 randomly selected household one year into the program
• Eligibility:
– Small pond owners with at least one child 0-36 months or pregnant woman
• Conducted Nov-Dec 2014 (not peak season)
• Objectives:
– Take stock of current situation with respect to major project outcomes (income and improved dietary intake)
– Identify areas for improvement
– Expand understanding of pathways between aquaculture and nutrition
Proportion of women (n, 243) consuming fish in the preceding 24 hours
33
4240
57
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
National FTF Aqua
Small fish
Large fish
Pro
po
rtio
n (
%)
Proportion of women (n, 241) consuming foods from ≥ 5 food groups in the preceding 24 hours
22
46
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
National FTF Aqua
Pro
po
rtio
n,
(%)
Practice of women:Introduction of small and large fish
in children’s diets
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
18
22
24
Large fish
Small fish
Proportion (%)
Ch
ild’s
age
(m
on
th)
For women (n) reporting delaying introduction of fish, why?
18
169
16
34
Too young
Fear of bones
Child doesn't like taste
Other
Nutritional challenges in the first 1,000 days
• Predominantly plant-based diet ( > 70% of energy from rice)
• Low in micronutrients
• High in anti-nutrients
• Limited food diversity ( < 6% of energy from animal-source foods)
• Complementary foods rarely provide adequate energy and micronutrients
• Thin rice porrigde
• Suji – wheat porrigde
• Time
• Safe storage
• Most commonly consumed and well-liked animal-source food in Bangladesh
• Small amounts of animal-source foods in a plant-based diet can substantially increase nutrient adequacy. Particularly important for the 1,000 days.
• Small indigenous fish are particularly nutritious: eaten whole, with head, bones and viscera; provide a rich source of animal protein, essential fats, iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin A
Why should fish consumption be increased in the first 1,000 days?
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
-9 <6 6-8 9-11 12-17 18-23 24-35 36-47 48-59
% c
hil
dre
n
Age in months
stunting
severe stunting
wasting
severe wasting
Importance of introducing animal-source foods at 6 months of age
Source BDHS 2011 - National Institute of Population, Research and Training (NIPORT), Mitra and Associates, ICF
International. Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2011. Dhaka, Bangladesh and Calverton, Maryland, USA; 2011.
Fish chutney for pregnant and lactating women
Fish-based complementary food for infants and young children
Fish powder – to add to family foods
Fish-based products developed by WorldFish for 1,000 days
Fish-based complementary food
• Made from local
ingredients
• High content of MNs
(iron, zinc, vitamin A,
calcium)
• High energy density
• Low content of anti-
nutrients
• Include animal-source
food
• Culturally acceptable
• Acceptable taste, texture
and colour
• Easy to prepare
• Hygenically safe
• Rich in
micronutrients
(especially iron)
• Animal protein
• Essential fats
• Energy
Fish chutney for pregnant and lactating women
Conclusion
• Follow-up surveys needed to better understand the effects of nutrition education and behaviour change in aquaculture projects
• Focus on production and productivity of micronutrient-rich small fish and vegetables
• Intensive counselling of mothers/caregivers needed to introduce fish and other micronutrient-rich foods to children at 6 months of age
• Household approach: all household members to support the mother/caregiver to feed the infant
• Fish-based products can fill nutritional gaps in 1,000 days