Behavioural change for better nutrition in Papua New Guinea

Urban Farm DB summary

A study and intervention report addressing the decline in consumption of traditional vegetables in Papua New Guinea (PNG), which is adversely affecting family nutrition and increasing rates of malnutrition and obesity. Traditional vegetables are climatically adapted to PNG, require lower inputs, and are described as superior in food value to globally popular vegetables, historically providing a large share of daily protein, vitamin, and mineral intake in the village diet. The research found that people lacked awareness of the nutritional value of traditional vegetables, considering them "backward" and "poverty" food, even though the vegetables remain strongly connected to culture and "home." The project trained smallholder farmers in pest and disease management and seed saving to reduce input costs, worked with families and communities to raise awareness of traditional vegetables' nutritional value, trained families in gardening and cooking, and created new recipes using local vegetables. Planned next steps include work with maternal-child clinics linked to hospitals and school-based programs combining teacher education, school gardens, and incentive-based lunchboxes. Some growers have applied their seed-saving skills to set up small-scale seed businesses.