Ecosystem services to alleviate iodine, selenium and zinc malnutrition in sub-Saharan Africa

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Sub-Saharan Africa endures widespread nutritional insecurity including chronic mineral/trace element malnutrition. Even when crop yields are good, trace element malnutrition causes diseases and cognitive and growth retardation, especially in children, and constrains regional economic growth. Iodine (I), selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) deficiencies are especially widespread sub-Saharan Africa, in part due to soil chemistry and subsistence-based agro-ecosystems. The provision of trace elements to human diets via crops is a fundamental terrestrial ecosystem service. Poor management, and environmental or socio-economic change, can compromise this service. Ecosystem management strategies to maximize I/Se/Zn availability include (1) topsoil protection, (2) 'spatially-selective' fertiliser-based crop biofortification to target receptive soil types whilst maintaining resource-consciousness, (3) green manuring, and (4) waste recycling. If ecosystems fail to deliver adequate trace elements, intervention with supplements or (bio)fortified food is feasible. Yet ecosystem management to prevent trace element malnutrition in the first instance, or to inform interventions where sustainable crop breeding options are not possible, e.g. for elements such as I and Se, remain unexplored. A Partnership and Project Development Grant (PPDG) is sought for a six-month project. The funds will support the formation of a new multinational consortium. The primary output of the PPDG will be a Research Consortium Grant (RCG). The RCG will seek (1) to improve our understanding of the role of ecosystems services provision in alleviating trace element malnutrition, (2) to enhance existing Malawian training, R&D and monitoring capabilities in trace element biogeochemistry, and (3) to facilitate and support regional knowledge exchange on trace elements within sub-Sarahan Africa. The main activities for the consortium are to compile existing biogeochemical and nutritional trace element data, identifying knowledge gaps, and to engage in transdisciplinary networking. These activities will be integrated at a workshop in Malawi (Sept. 2010). This workshop will identify local stakeholders to involve in the RCG. Workshop topics will include: 1. defining roles and responsibilities; 2. evidence gathering and preliminary hypothesis testing; 3. assessing expertise, facilities, logistics and training requirements; 4. facilitating new stakeholder partnerships; 5. determining scope, timelines and costs for RCG project delivery Four specific objectives will be addressed: 1. BIOGEOCHEMISTRY: to identify key biogeochemical processes driving variation in I/Se/Zn status of food crops in contrasting Malawian ecosystems. A spatially-co-ordinated soils/crops database will be compiled from existing data and evaluated for its use in determining I/Se/Zn bioavailability. Likely (extensive) issues with data availability, quality and curation will inform downstream RCG project requirements. 2. NUTRITION: to conduct a feasibility analysis (logistics, cost) of analysing spatial variation in I/Se/Zn dietary status and intake in contrasting Malawian ecosystems. 3. ECONOMICS: to quantify the costs and benefits of hypothetical changes in ecosystem management to alleviate I/Se/Zn deficiency in Malawi. Existing data will be integrated and new scenarios simulated. Expert assumptions, amenable to downstream testing will be used where data are lacking. 4. IMPACT: to formulate strategies so that effects of 'spatially-informed' changes to ecosystem management on I/Se/Zn status and intake can be tested. These strategies will inform the downstream RCG and could include detailed experiments with specific human-health end-points through to national scale monitoring. RCG activities will be developed alongside a full Impact Plan to include national and regional capacity building in training, R&D and monitoring.