School Meals Programs: Connecting with Local Farmers to Provide Good, Sustainable Nutrition in School—And a Lever for Change

2021 ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
Kathryn Wilson
Keyword(s):  
School Meals ◽  
Local Farmers

The Experience in Organizing and Conducting the Analysis of Data on Nutrition of School-Aged Children in the Sverdlovsk Region within the Federal Public Health Promotion Project

2020 ◽  
pp. 10-17
Author(s):  
NA Moiseeva ◽  
IL Kholstinina ◽  
MF Knyazeva ◽  
TV Mazhaeva ◽  
OL Malykh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Nutritional Value ◽  
School Meals ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Healthy Nutrition ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Public Health Promotion

Introduction: Implementation of the Federal Public Health Promotion Project should raise awareness and develop skills of healthy nutrition in children, thus contributing to disease prevention. Our objective was to evaluate the results of pilot nutrition monitoring in school-aged children of the Sverdlovsk Region as part of the Federal Public Health Promotion Project and the National Demography Project. Results: We established that school meals were generally satisfactory: the rations complied with physiological needs of children in terms of their nutritional value, basic nutrients, energy, and distribution of calories by main meals. We noted differences in the cost and nutritional value of meals and the variety of dishes and foodstuffs used between urban and rural areas. As a rule, pupils have one or two school meals a day. Outside of school, their consumption of dairy products and fruit is limited. Conclusions: Our findings may promote the elaboration of municipal programs aimed, inter alia, at changing the amount of sugar and salt used in the manufacture of public catering products, the cost of dishes with a high content of sugar, saturated fats, and salt, and subsidies on healthy nutrition.

scholarly journals First reported quantitative microbiota in different livestock manures used as organic fertilizers in the Northeast of Thailand

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lampet Wongsaroj ◽  
Ratmanee Chanabun ◽  
Naruemon Tunsakul ◽  
Pinidphon Prombutara ◽  
Somsak Panha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pathogenic Bacteria ◽  
Organic Fertilizer ◽  
The Other ◽  
Organic Fertilizers ◽  
Rrna Gene ◽  
Bacterial Composition ◽  
Physiochemical Properties ◽  
Nutrient Profiles ◽  
Soil Recovery ◽  
Local Farmers

AbstractNortheastern Thailand relies on agriculture as a major economic activity, and has used high levels of agrochemicals due to low facility, and salty sandy soil. To support soil recovery and sustainable agriculture, local farmers have used organic fertilizers from farmed animal feces. However, knowledge about these animal fecal manures remains minimal restricting their optimal use. Specifically, while bacteria are important for soil and plant growth, an abundance and a diversity of bacterial composition in these animal fecal manures have not been reported to allow selection and adjustment for a more effective organic fertilizer. This study thereby utilized metagenomics combined with 16S rRNA gene quantitative PCR (qPCR) and sequencing to analyze quantitative microbiota profiles in association with nutrients (N, P, K), organic matters, and the other physiochemical properties, of the commonly used earthworm manure and other manures from livestock animals (including breed and feeding diet variations) in the region. Unlike the other manures, the earthworm manure demonstrated more favorable nutrient profiles and physiochemical properties for forming fertile soil. Despite low total microbial biomass, the microbiota were enriched with maximal OTUs and Chao richness, and no plant pathogenic bacteria were found based on the VFDB database. The microbial metabolic potentials supported functions to promote crop growth, such as C, N and P cyclings, xenobiotic degradation, and synthesis of bioactive compounds. Pearson’s correlation analyses indicated that the quantitative microbiota of the earthworm manure were clustered in the same direction as N, and conductivity, salinity, and water content were essential to control the microbiota of animal manures.

Chinese Technology Transfer to Local Farmers in the Russian Far East

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (5) ◽  
pp. 1483-1509
Author(s):  
Fujin Yi ◽  
Richard T. Gudaj ◽  
Valeria Arefieva ◽  
Renata Yanbykh ◽  
Svetlana Mishchuk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Technology Transfer ◽  
Russian Far East ◽  
Far East ◽  
Local Farmers ◽  
The Russian Far East

School-Based Nutrition Programs for Adolescents in Dodoma, Tanzania: A Situation Analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 037957212110207
Author(s):  
Colette Rector ◽  
Nadhira Nuraini Afifa ◽  
Varun Gupta ◽  
Abbas Ismail ◽  
Dominic Mosha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
School Administrators ◽  
School Nutrition ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
School Meals ◽  
Nutrition Interventions ◽  
Double Burden ◽  
School Based ◽  
Sanitation And Hygiene

Background: Tanzania has a double burden of malnutrition, including a high prevalence of undernutrition and an increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents. Schools present a valuable opportunity to reach a large section of the country’s adolescent population with nutrition-oriented interventions. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the current state of adolescent school nutrition interventions in Dodoma, Tanzania, with emphases on 3 potential school-based nutrition interventions, school vegetable gardens, school meals, and education (on nutrition, agriculture, and water, sanitation, and hygiene). Methods: Focus group discussions were conducted with several regional and district-level governmental stakeholders, including health, education, and agricultural officers. Ten public secondary schools were visited, and interviews with school administrators, teachers, students, and parents were conducted. Results: All stakeholders interviewed supported interventions to improve school-based nutrition, including school gardens, school feeding, and nutrition education. All 10 schools visited had some experience providing school meals, but parents’ contributions were essential for the program’s sustainability. Most schools visited had land available for a school garden program, but water availability could be challenging during certain times of the year. The teachers interviewed expressed that the curriculum on nutrition education was highly theoretical and did not allow students to practice the knowledge and skills they learned in the classroom. Conclusions: The current school-based approach to tackling the double burden of adolescent malnutrition in Dodoma is localized and ad hoc. To leverage the potential of schools as a platform for nutrition interventions, integrated and policy-mandated interventions are needed.

Trade-offs between local farmers' demand for ecosystem services and ecological restoration of the Loess Plateau, China

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 ◽  
pp. 101295
Author(s):  
Xiaobin Dong ◽  
Xiaowan Wang ◽  
Hejie Wei ◽  
Bojie Fu ◽  
Jijun Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Ecological Restoration ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
The Loess Plateau ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Local Farmers

scholarly journals Towards a Professionalism of Agricultural Extension: Key to Promoting Extension Effectiveness in Africa

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Robert Agunga ◽  
Ruth Sleshi ◽  
Rahwa Hassen
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Extension ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Slow Process ◽  
Collaborative Relationship ◽  
Extension Services ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Governmental Agencies ◽  
Communication For Development ◽  
Significant Extension ◽  
Local Farmers

A survey of a small sample of 123 extension workers in Ghana and Ethiopia may have revealed the key issue facing extension ineffectiveness in Africa—the paucity of extension training. Questions on job satisfaction showed that respondents were highly satisfied with: a) an opportunity to work in an area they are trained (N=88, 57%), b) level of education (N=75 (61%), c) enthusiasm towards their work (N=72 (58.5%), and d) opportunity to work with local farmers. However, they were highly dissatisfied with: a) their salaries (N=108 (87.8%), b) the process of decentralization (N=83 (75.6%), c) cooperation from non-governmental agencies (N=87 (70.7%), d) respect from peers in other sectors of government (N=83 (68.0%), e) training in development (N=79 (65.3%), and f) training in communication (N=65 (54.2%). We find their complaints on lack of or limited training in development and communication worthy to note because in the last 40 years extension performance has stressed facilitation among development partners. It can be argued, therefore, that the slow process of decentralization, the friction between extension workers and their NGO counterparts, and their inability to get along with their compatriots in other ministries can be traced to their limited or lack of training in development and communication, otherwise called “Communication for Development” (C4D). We conclude, therefore, that if extension workers are to be effective in their new role as development facilitators not only must their training in agriculture expand to include C4D but, equally significant, extension systems throughout the continent must operate as a profession. Therefore, the authors recommend the establishment of a professional association throughout Africa, under the rubric of “ExtensionAfrica,” which will address the need for extension effectiveness on the continent. We particularly recommend a collaborative relationship with the African Forum for Agricultural Services (AFAAS), which has a mandate for advising on extension services, to make this happen.

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