MORINGA:DELIVERING NUTRITION AND ECONOMIC VALUE TO THE PEOPLE OF MALAWI

"Lack of adequate nutrition in Malawi is a critical concern and without intervention, the provision of adequate food is an unachievable outcome. Malawi also faces significant challenges in establishing and operating a food and nutrition security programme. Our innovative solution is to establish production of a high-protein, micronutrient rich crop (Moringa oleifera), which will be locally grown by smallholder farmers, and processed on-site to supply Malawi's proposed scaled-up nutrition programmes. This project will not only contribute towards nutritional security for the poorest and most vulnerable in Malawi, but will deliver recognised additional economic benefits through two commercialisation opportunities; provision of functional plant-based protein isolates as an increasingly desirable food ingredient for local and export markets and scientifically-evaluated fair-trade products to enter the growing international market for nutraceuticals. We have partnered with Africa Growing plc who have provided significant investment in proof-of-concept Moringa plantations in Malawi since 2011. Strong networks and collaboration agreements are in place with the National Farmers' Association (100,000 members), which will help sustain local economies. Contract growing by smallholder farmers ensures the benefits cascade down to the rural population, providing a product grown in Malawi, processed in Malawi for the people of Malawi.

Moringa is widely regarded as a 'miracle tree' it has been described by many as 'a nutritional and medicinal cornucopia' and all parts of the plant are edible. Our preliminary data has shown that Moringa leaves, which can be repeatedly and sustainably and cropped are high in protein (28%) and fibre (14%). The commercial source analysed was found to be extremely rich in beneficial bioactive constituents considered to contribute towards prevention of life-style-related diseases (type-2-diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer), as well as important micronutrients. Moringa performs well in less-fertile soils and being drought resistant and perennial is likely to be more resistant to climatic change. Additionally, sequestration of CO2 will contribute to climate change mitigation. This proposal will evaluate the nutritional and economic value of Moringa grown in Malawi. We will assess the nutritional composition, grown across several sites in terms of its potential to contribute towards meeting the nutritional requirements of vulnerable groups. With 47% of children stunted, infant mortality at 11.2% (live births under five) and maternal mortality (675 per 100,000 births) one of the highest in the world, young children and expectant mothers are an important target group. HIV/AIDS sufferers also benefit from improved nutrition, as efficacy of current anti-retro viral drugs require a nutritious and balanced diet. We will compare Moringa to the supplemental formula adopted by the World Food Programme, which is currently imported from multinational chemical companies. This will be evaluated in human dietary intervention, providing evidence beyond that of product labelling. The project will identify additional economic opportunities for Malawi by exploring the development of novel GM-free, protein-rich functional food products and fair-trade scientifically evaluated nutraceuticals, both of which are highly desirable in growing international food and health markets. This will lead to greater empowerment of the country, enabling it to influence its own nutritional and economic future. There is also potential to expand the project into other LMICs where severe malnutrition is a concern. Additionally, it will strengthen the UK research base, allowing researchers working in nutrition and food formulation to benefit from working in a socioeconomic setting, identifying barriers to effective translation and establishing connections with academics, government and non-government organisations in Malawi."