Consumption of Native and Traditional Crops in Bolivia Varies Along an Ecoregional Gradient
Authors: Saxena Alder Keleman , Fuentes Ximena Cadima , Velarde Daniel Illanes , Humphries Debbie 
Published: June 2021

Background

Agro biodiversity may play an important role in human nutrition and food security. However, research documenting relationships between genetically diverse crop varieties and nutrition and food security of contemporary populations is limited.

Objective

This project sought to measure the contribution of native and traditional crops to the diets and nutritional quality of residents of the Bolivian Andes; to determine whether the contribution varies according to the ecological region of a household's residence; and to investigate the relationships between the consumption of native and traditional crops and the growth of children under 5.

Methods

The study was carried out in the rural municipality of Colomi, department of Cochabamba, and the departmental capital, Cochabamba City. The nine sites spanned 86 km along the national highway, and covered an altitudinal range of 2200–4200 meters above sea level (masl), with sub‐tropical, inter‐Andean valley, and high‐altitude puna ecotypes. Two household‐level surveys were conducted, one in the 2013 post‐planting season (Nov–Dec) and the other in the 2014 post‐harvest season (May–July). Surveys with female household heads or food preparers collected information on household socio‐demographics, wealth and expenditures, 24‐hour recall of all foods prepared or consumed at the household level, and height and weight measurements of children under the age of 5. Survey and anthropometric data were entered into excel and data analysis was undertaken with SPSS (v23) and ENA SMART software. A Kruskal‐Wallis means test (for non‐normally distributed data) and multiple linear regression were used for analysis. Each household's total caloric consumption for the day prior to the survey was calculated from the 2014 post‐harvest data, coding each ingredient as “native,” “processed,” or belonging to another category. A fixed effects model was used to assess the relationship between native crop consumption and child growth, adjusting for age, sex, ecoregion, household, and household total calories per adult equivalent.

Results

Native foods contributed an average of 27.3% (SD ±0.110) of the calories available in households the day prior to the survey. This contribution ranged from a low value of 15.0% in urban areas, to a high of 52.4% in the high‐altitude puna communities. There were significant differences in the percent caloric contribution of native crops to households’ diets among sites (Kruskal‐Walis test, p<0.01), as well as in all other categories of foods, with the exception of “Andeanized” food products. HAZ was positively associated with percent consumption of native crops (p<0.05), and consumption of Andeanized, introduced, and animal‐source foods (p<0.01). There was no association between native crop consumption and WHZ.

Conclusions

Native and traditional crops make an important contribution to caloric availability across all ecoregions studied. However, dietary profiles differ significantly by region, with native crops making a larger contribution in the rural and highland areas than in urban or urbanizing sites.

Support or Funding Information

This project was funded by the National Science Foundation (DDIG in Geography #1131153), the Wilbur G. Downs Fellowship; the Yale‐NYBG Cullman Fellowship; the Yale McMillan Center International Dissertation Research Fellowship; the Yale Tropical Resources Institute; the Yale Program in Agrarian Studies; and the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies.