Publication: University based Community Action Research for increasing viability of cereal-legume value chains towards improved nutrition and livelihood in Sub- Sahara Africa (UniCARSSA) Project
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2023
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Abstract
The University based Community Action Research for increasing viability of cereal
legume value chains towards improved nutrition and livelihood in Sub- Sahara Africa
(UniCARSSA) project links smallholders and Rural entrepreneurs directly with
universities in platforms for action to share currently available technologies as it tries
to adapt farmers to local conditions and encouraging them to utilize new technologies
in their farming activities.
Here at University of Eldoret, the UniCARSSA Project Principal Investigator is Dr
Abigael Otinga. The project is funded within the framework of ‘1LEAP-Agri’ which is
a partnership of 19 European and African countries and the EU. The partnership is
aimed at research and innovation for food and nutrition security as well as sustainable
agriculture, including aquaculture and was endorsed by the EU-Africa Summit 2014.
The instrument is an ERA-NET co-fund, a partnership financed by Ministries from
these countries (Kenya, included under NRF) and co-funded by the European
Commission supporting the implementation of the EU-Africa High Level Policy
Dialogue on Science, Technology and Innovation (STI).
UniCARSSA is implemented under four work packages (WP) viz; WP 1-Increased
and diversified food production; WP 2- Exploring diversity in cereal-legume product
consumption and utilization; WP 3- Strengthening of local nutrition-sensitive value
chains through research and capacity building of rural entrepreneurs (individuals and
SMEs) and WP 4- Engagement of universities with local stakeholders through
platforms for action research. The project works to enhance food and nutrition
security that is severely elusive on the African continent. Crops grown on nutrient
deficient soils are of low quality with low yields and food produced from such soils
cannot meet the everyday dietary requirements of both adults and children. In Kenya,
the high consumption of cereals such as maize, sorghum and millet grown on nutrient
deficient soils and specifically micronutrients inadvertently leads to hidden hunger
and malnutrition in the population. Zn deficiency is one such example. Therefore, to
produce crops with adequate minerals for consumption, low fertility soils have to be
adequately replenished to ensure that crops have increased mineral nutrient content.
This research work was conceptualized on the premise that ‘we are what we eat’ and
crops grown on deficient soils will ultimately be of poor quality with paucity of
nutrients. Under WP 1, soil scientists Dr. Abigael Otinga and Dr. Ruth Njoroge
worked on replenishing soil fertility in the poor soils of western Kenya and narrowed
the focus to the micronutrient Zn following it from the soil to the table. Soils were
2
supplied with Zn at 0, 1.5 and 3 t ha-1 of ZnO fertilizer and planted with maize and
sorghum and soybeans. Grains from crops planted on soils that received Zn at the two
rates had increased Zn content. These grains were used to prepare composite flours
and nutrient analyses revealed an enhanced Zn content. WP 2 led by Dr. Charlotte
Serrem and Dr. Gertrude Were then developed a nutrient dense and sensory enhanced
sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) based stiff porridge (Ugali) for young children
through an MSc. student Emily Kimaiyo, using the Zn enhanced flours from WP 1.
The product line with three variations- pure maize, pure sorghum and maize
sorghum- enhanced with nutrients from the indigenous vegetable black night shade
is dubbed SONLIK and is currently under evaluation for patenting.
The project being a collaboration between European and African Countries is
domiciled under the National Research Fund (NRF); a State Corporation established
under the Science Technology and Innovation (ST&I) Act No. 28, Section 32 of 2013
participated in the Council of Governors devolution Conference. During this year’s
Council of Governors (CoG) in Kenya 8th Devolution Conference 2023 held between
the 15th and 19th of August 2023 in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County themed ‘10 Years of
devolution: The Present and the Future’ and the sub-theme: Driving Transformation from
the local level: County Governments as the Centre of economic development, NRF invited
and facilitated the participation of members of the UniCARSSA Project to display
SONLIK. The three variations of SONLIK were displayed at the NRF stand through
Dr Charlotte Serrem and Emily Kimaiyo who attended the conference held at Eldoret
Sports Club. SONLIK elicited great interest among the general public who wished to
buy it. The product was also of great interest to Non-Governmental Humanitarian
Organizations such as the Action against Hunger Programme. The University of
Eldoret was advised to consider commercializing the product once issues of
intellectual property rights had been sorted out.