Summary
This study demonstrates that micronutrient composition of staple cereal grains varies significantly across geographically defined subnational regions in Ethiopia and Malawi, driven by soil and environmental factors including pH, organic matter, temperature, rainfall and topography. For rural households reliant on locally sourced food, geographic location emerged as a major determinant of micronutrient dietary intake from cereals. The findings suggest that micronutrient interventions such as fortification and biofortification should account for geospatial variation, which can exceed the magnitude of intervention effects.
UK applicability
Direct applicability to the UK context is limited, as the study focuses on sub-Saharan African agroecological conditions and smallholder farming systems. However, the methodological approach of characterising geospatial micronutrient variation in staple grains and linking it to soil and environmental covariates could inform UK food composition databases and regional nutritional assessment.
Key measures
Micronutrient concentrations (calcium, iron, selenium, zinc) in cereal grains; soil properties (pH, organic matter); environmental variables (temperature, rainfall, topography); biomarkers of selenium dietary status
Outcomes reported
The study measured calcium, iron, selenium and zinc concentrations in staple cereal grains across most cereal production areas in Ethiopia and Malawi, and identified geospatial variation in micronutrient composition at subnational scales. Associations were established between soil and environmental covariates (pH, organic matter, temperature, rainfall, topography) and grain micronutrient concentrations, and between grain selenium concentration and biomarkers of dietary selenium status.
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