Tiffany Covington and Dr. Alison Campbell, Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science
Abstract
La Rinconada is a unique indigenous village tucked away in the northern mountainous regions of Imbabura, Ecuador where the children of local subsistence farmers suffer from nutritional deficiencies. Studies completed by The Benson Institute show that before the year 2000, 50 percent of the villagers did not consume vegetables. Similar studies also show that meat consumption was often saved and therefore not consumed except for special occasions. Macro and micro-nutrient deficiencies within the children are evident through stunted growth patterns, hair discoloration, loss of eyesight, and premature death.
Benson Institute affiliates including Tiffany Covington initiated garden projects within La Rinconada’s School, Gonzalo Pizarro in April 2000. Benson students began chicken and guinea pig production projects two years later. Over a four year time period, Benson affiliates taught La Rinconada community members and Gonzalo Pizarro students to care for the gardens and animals as well as to harvest and prepare the foods for consumption.
Covington’s completed studies showing the quantitative and qualitative include a 21 percent decrease in malnutrition among school-age children and a change in the mentality of the children and community members.
Methods
The effects of the school gardens and animal husbandry projects on the children of Gonzalo Pizarro were discovered in two phases. The first phase included a daily written collection of food prepared and eaten in the school and a biannual collection of the height and weight of each student beginning in June of 2001 until present. The second phase included the formation of a database to analyze the nutrient content of the school-food and the processing of the children’s height and weight data. Height and weight data was analyzed using EPI Info to determine the prevalence of malnutrition. Lastly, interviews with the students of Gonzalo Pizarro and participants of the school garden projects showed the thoughts and feelings of community members concerning the gardens.
Results
Interviews show that school children have a better knowledge and taste for vegetables. Forty percent of the school children said that lettuce was their favorite vegetable grown in the garden. Other popular vegetables included carrots (12%) and red cabbage (12%). Twenty-two percent of the students, the largest consecutive number, said that their least favorite garden-grown vegetables were beets. The major differences noted in the children from the parents and garden participants is that children are now more responsive and have transitioned from eating very few vegetables to asking for greens and other garden-grown plants. Lastly students, local teacher, and parents all realized that in order for the gardens to maintain food production, more work on the part of students and community members would be necessary.
Malnutrition, using height for age indexes, decreased from 69 percent in July of 2001 to 54 percent in December of 2004. In December of 2002 and June of 2003, malnutrition in the community increased to a high of 75 percent (See Graph 1). It is thought that these increasing percentages, despite the school gardens being established, were due to the fact that chicken and guinea pig production (a large source of protein, calories, and fat) was not implemented into the school lunches until the 2002’03 school year. Thus growth patterns continued to show high levels of malnutrition until the 2003’04 school year. Malnutrition is beginning to increase again now that the Benson Institute has finished its efforts within La Rinconda. This result may be due to a lack of effort on behalf of community and school members in caring for the gardens and animals that were emphasized by Benson members.
Data shows that on average school lunches provided over 40 percent of recommended protein, iron, Vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and Vitamin C for children ages 4-8 years during the 2002’03 school year. Children ages 9-13 years received at least 40 percent of the recommended protein, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and Vitamin C during that same school year. Using this school year as a sample and assuming that children are receiving the other necessary 20-60 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) from foods eaten within the home, school children are still generally deficient in calcium, Vitamin A, and riboflavin. In addition, children receive very little fat from their diet.
Discussion
Based on the nutritional needs of the students of Gonzalo Pizarro, teaching malnourished children to eat more leafy greens (i.e., radish, beet, or amaranth greens) would add an additional high source of calcium, Vitamin A, and riboflavin. For example a hundred grams of radish greens alone contains 30% of recommended calcium, 411% of recommended Vitamin A, and 43% of recommended riboflavin for children 4-8 years of age. However, some children maybe apprehensive about eating a large portion of greens; therefore, other available foods such as dairy, whole grains, and orange fleshed fruits might need to be considered