Acceptance and integration of biofortified vitamin A maize into common diets

Micronutrient deficiency ranks high as one of the public health challenges facing developing countries. Muti-faceted approaches have been put in place to reduce the impact of this problem, and among them is the promotion and dissemination of staple crops bred to deliberately have higher levels of selected micronutrients like vitamin A. In the Northen part of Zambia, HarvestPlus, working with other partners has been promoting orange maize rich in vitamin A among poor members of the community organized into Livelihoods Enhancement Groups (LEGs). A survey was conducted among households that belong to LEG sand took part in the cultivation of orange Vitamin A Maize (VAM). After the first year in which the community was introduced to biofortified VAM, LEGs grew it in group plots, shared the produce after the harvest and had their first home use. These households were followed up with a survey that asked a range of questions and interviews were conducted with a sample of 96 households which were randomly selected from the list of those that cultivated and shared the produce. The author descriptively assess how well VAM has been integrated into common diets. Findings show that almost all households like VAM as compared to both cassava and white maize meal, the two other staples in Northern Zambia. In all the forms in which it was cooked, households liked it. There are, however, fewer households who reported mixing VAM flour and cassava flour- something which is common with white maize flour. There are no differences in the likability of VAM across districts and gender. The reasons advanced for preference of VAM include; its nutritional content, its taste and the ability of households to prepare nshima (thick porridge) using less VAM flour as compared to cassava and white maize flour. Farmers also like VAM agronomically because it is an early maturing variety and for its double cobbing characteristic. These results provide a mix of agronomic and consumption attributes that can be used in the promotion of VAM and have implications for further research: need to scientifically test some of the perceived benefits households reported like using less VAM maize flour than white maize flour for cooking same amount of nshima and it being more filling.