Preliminary study about dietary intake of Tigray farmers in the southern Kilite Awlaelo district of northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Due to the expansion of prohibited grazing and protected forest land led by local governments and/or social changes, the rangeland for livstock kept by local farmers has diminished, and consequently the number of livestock has decreased in the Eastern Zone of the Tigray Region, northern Ethiopia. It can be deduced that the decrease in livestock numbers decreases the nutrient intake of local farmers. The purpose of this paper is to conduct the preliminary study for 1) understanding the current dietary intake and characteristics of the Tigray farmer, and 2) evaluating how current local governmental policy and social changes affect their dietary intake and nutritional status in southern Kilite Awlaelo district in the Eastern Zone of the Tigray Region. Amounts of consumed foods of total 10 Tigray farmers in 3 households were measured using portable scale. Moreover, total other 10 local farmers aged from 49 years to 75 were interviewed to understand dietary intake, number of livestock and amount of milk production, contribution of milk products to dietary intake, and rangeland conditions around 1970. The characteristics of the dietary intake of the surveyed Tigray farmers were that they consumed a large amount of injera (taita) and bread (gogo), mainly with bean dishes (shiro or shumshimo) and chili pepper sauce (silsi), and seldom depended on meat, internal organs, and milk products in their daily meals. It was suggested that the intake of calories, protein, and fat tended to be insufficient in their daily meals, although these nutrients were partially replenished by special meals on the occasion of festivals and religious events. Since the growth of population, the dissemination of education, and the increase of prohibited grazing and protected forest land have caused the decreases in available feed resources, livestock numbers, milk production, and milk intake in Tigray farmers, they have faced malnutrition and other negative impacts on their health. The local government needs to implement a comprehensive policy that considers the subsistence and health of local peoples, rather than simply considering the conservation of the local natural environment.