Zimbabwe local foodplant champion ethnographic report: sustainable, resilient food systems supporting health

Growing population sizes, increasing demand for nutritious foods, biodiversity impacts of farming, and climatic pressures have put the global food system under increasing pressure. (1) Significant issues are evidenced by social equity and food access inequality, with over 800 million people food insecure at one extreme, more than one billion people suffering from overnutrition and obesity, (2) and many more consuming low-quality diets that cause micronutrient deficiencies and contribute to a substantial rise in the incidence of diet-related obesity and non-communicable diseases. Sustainable, resilient food systems for healthy diets, the defining issue for public health nutrition, (1) have been identified as the first of the six pillars for action by the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition. (3) Novel solutions for future food security and sustainability, including possible approaches of consuming more plant-based foods, without compromising food safety are needed to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Food Plants International (FPI) project focused on Zimbabwean women in nutrition education/knowledge, health promotion and helping stay-at-home mothers and women to be engaged in community gardening, soil build-up (compost, mulching, keeping stems of maize and not burning them), food plants gardening skills, and growing local and traditional foods plants, mainly Okra (derere), Rapoko grass, Sorghum, Maize and Finger Millet. 112 participants from 25 diverse communities in different locations were trained in the FPI agroecology and traditional food workshops. Communities in these locations received FPI training materials (posters/books), planted traditional food plants, learned how to cook them, and encouraged to consume these nutritious traditional foods, fresh vegetables, and more plant-based foods. These foods have great beneficial nutrient effects including carbohydrates, calories, plant-based proteins, dietary fiber, vitamins C, K1, A and D, minerals, antioxidants, zinc, calcium, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus among others, which may help support healthy pregnancy, heart health, blood sugar, and even anticancer properties. We have been able to promote nutrition/health education and knowledge among local women to identify different species of food plants, how to plant them, soil build-up methods, compost generation and usage, how to cook traditional foods for effective and beneficial absorption of nutrients, and encouraging their consumption, which in the long term helps food safety, fights food insecurity, unemployment, maternal, infant, and young child anaemia, and maximizes resources to achieve sustainability. Feeding 10 billion people in 2050 sustainably requires changes in whole food chains; changing our food demand to more plant-based diets could help. (1) Intensifying the harvest of vegetable crops to double the output with the same footprint will support sustainable intensification and source reduction. (4) Economic, social, and environmental bases to generate and not compromise food security for our future generations need to be ensured. (5)