By Matthew Cooper, Tabby Njung’e, Alice Ruhweza, Peter Alele, Felly Tusiime and Julius Okwadi
Many studies have demonstrated how forests and natural areas can improve dietary diversity[1], food security and nutrition[2]. Forests provide a greater variety of foods than agriculture alone[3], and can remain productive even during times of drought and climate stress, when agriculture fails. People in rural parts of the developing world depend directly on forest food products like bushmeat, fruit, nuts, insects, leaves, and honey to provide nutrition[4]. Nonfood products like building materials and medicines can also bolster food security by providing additional sources of income.
The Vital Signs monitoring system, collects and integrates primary and secondary data using standardized protocols and methods including household surveys, vegetation plot measurements and remote sensed data allowing researchers and policymakers to dig further into these trends.
Preliminary Vital Signs results show the role that forest resources play in nutrition and the toll that missing forests take is exemplified in three landscapes in Uganda: Masindi in Western Uganda, Kisoro in the southwest, and Yumbe in the Northwest.
Masindi is one of the most agriculturally productive parts of Uganda – households grow maize and sunflower, as well as cash crops like tobacco and sugarcane. Farmers use ample agricultural inputs like fertilizers and pesticides, and most use ox ploughs, with others preferring tractors. The average household in Masindi produces $341 a year worth of crops with some households producing over $1,000 annually. This high agricultural output means that malnutrition is relatively low with only 22% of children surveyed being stunted.
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