Nutrition and Sustainable development Armenia: experience of Amaranth growing

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Nutrition and Sustainable developmentArmenia
experience of Amaranth growing Elena 
Manvelyan, MD, PhD
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Nutrition, health and human rights

• It is right of everyone to have access to safe
  and nutritious food, consistent with the right to
  adequate food and the fundamental right of
  everyone to be free from hunger". Rome
  Declaration on World Food Security (World Food
  Summit, 1996)

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Armenia Background information

• Population 3.2 millions 33.4 rural population
  Area 29,743 km2
• GDP per person 503.6 USD Capital Yerevan

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Economic features of the last decade

• Unemployment rate 30-35
• 55 of population live behind the level of
  poverty 23 live in utter poverty
• Extremely poor population 16
• Proportion of population below minimum level of
  dietary energy consumption 14.4Average salary
  15-20 per month
• Minimal consumer basket 80

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UNICEF WFP survey on nutritional status/Armenia

• Stunting (low height for age) 9.1 in urban
  areas  15.5 in rural areas Anemia 26 of
  children aged 12-23 months 25 of children aged
  24-59 months

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Amaranth/Improvement of Nutrition and Health
Status of Pregnant Women and Children with body
weight deficiency

• The pilot project developed by NGO Armenian
  Women for Health and Healthy Environment (AWHHE)

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GOAL

• To improve the general health status and the
  quality of life of vulnerable groups of Armenian
  population and to assist them to attain financial
  sustainability.

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Objectives

• To strengthen the capacity of rural women in
  developing and implementing income generating
  activities
• To improve general health and nutrition status of
  pregnant women and children (continued)

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Objectives

• To raise awareness in women, community groups and
  professionals about the nutritional value of
  amaranth, as well as the potential for
  sustainable agricultural development
• To introduce amaranth in the diet of the
  population

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Amaranth contains

• High levels of proteins and amino acids
  (especially amino acids lysine and methionine).
  Higher than other plants levels of carbohydrates,
  calcium, iron, dietary fibers and vitamins.
  Approximately 48 of very valuable starch.

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EcoAmaranth

• Goal
• Improvement of quality of life of rural 
  population in Armenia through introduction and
  popularization of new agricultural crop amaranth

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Objectives

• Continue amaranth growing activities
• Improve nutrition of children from socially
  vulnerable families and having body weight
  deficiencies Improve nutrition of persons ill
  with Tuberculosis

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Comparative data of amaranth growing expenses at
three agricultural seasons
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Results of nutrition of 64 children from socially
vulnerable families (during 5 months)

• Children on full daily dose (30 g) of amaranth
  gained on average 1kg of weight monthly
• Children eating half daily dose of amaranth
  gained 700-800 g monthly
• Children eating small amounts of amaranth gained
  400-500g monthly
• Children from control group (did not eat
  amaranth) gained 250-300g monthly 

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Improvement of nutrition of persons ill with
Tuberculosis

• Overall 32 patients Duration 5 months Amount
  of amaranth flour per month 1,400 g Age groups
  15 to 30 years old 20 patients 36 to 45 years
  old 6 patients 51 to 71 years old 6 patients

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Results of nutrition of 32 patients with
Tuberculosis

• 23 patents had increased their weight 11
  patients 1 3 kg 9 patients 4 6 kg 3 patients 9
  11 kg Overall, general health status of
  majority of the patients has improved.

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Further ideas on amaranth project

• 1.Continue growing amaranth
• 2.Continue studies on its health effects
• 3.Continue education campaign in the villages
• 4.Marketing activities and advertising campaign
• 5.Make a film about amaranth for its further
  popularization
• 6.Identify potential partners for establishment
  of the network of enterprises on
  distribution/sell of amaranth production.

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Acknowledgements

• The entire staff of the NGO AWHHE is deeply
  grateful to the organization WECF and all those
  Private funds in the Netherlands who funded the
  project and by their invaluable support made
  possible to implement the project activities.