Traditional recipes containing wild edible plants were used as an entry point to improve the quality and diversity of children's diets in two elementary schools in rural Lebanon while reviving and enhancing the image of traditional foods and providing income to three women cooperatives. 

The Problem

In Lebanon, dietary habits are changing as the country experiences rapid economic, social and cultural changes. Traditional and inherently varied diets, which are perceived as “less prestigious” by younger generations, are being replaced by a limited range of high calorie high sugar foods, many of which imported, coupled with an increased consumption of red meat. As a result, micronutrient deficiencies and undernutrition are on the rise as is the prevalence of non-communicable diseases.  A national cross-sectional survey carried out in 2009 showed the prevalence of overweight to be 21.2% among children and young adults (6-19 yrs) and 36.8% among adults aged 20 years and above, while obesity for these groups was reported at 10.9% and 28.2% respectively. At the same time traditional food production systems are threatened by environmental degradation with consequent biodiversity loss as people move from small-scale farming to commercial agriculture or move to cities in search of work and abandon their land.

The project

As part of a larger project funded by the International Development and Research Centre (IDRC) Ecohealth Program, two school-feeding programmes were set up in 2010 involving a local women’s cooperative - Healthy Kitchen - and two elementary schools in the arid region of Arsaal. Over a 6-month period, 135 children aged between 6 and 9 were provided with a mid-morning snack that met 25% of their daily energy and nutrient requirements and reduced their intake of processed foods. School-feeding was complemented by a nutrition education module offered to participating students, families and teachers to encourage the consumption of wild edibles and locally grown foods, to renew interest in the local food culture and raise awareness of food as an ecosystem service, resulting in the improved management of key (and in some cases threatened) natural resources. The project was carried out in partnership with the Nature Conservation Center of the American University of Beirut, the University of Ottawa and the University of Montreal in Canada.

Impact

As a result of the school-feeding programme:

• A significant decrease in anemia prevalence among schoolchildren (p<0.0001) was recorded
• Eating habits improved at both schools with a significant decrease in number of children not consuming breakfast (p<0.001)
• Participating children demonstrated improved attitudes towards traditional diets and healthy lifestyle practices.
• The women cooperative is generating income by using and promoting wild edibles

Scaling-up
As a result of the project, Healthy Kitchen cooperatives were set up in 3 villages and training provided to 25 women in the collection, processing and marketing of wild edibles. Women were also involved in documenting traditional recipes using these plants which have been collected in a food-safety manual in Arabic and a the Healthy Kitchen cookbook containing over 40 local recipes, traditional knowledge and scientific information on the nutritional and health properties of 15 wild edible plants. Recipes are also being promoted in catering events, village cooking festivals and trade shows which have captured media attention and increased the visibility of traditional foods. The network has played a key role in promoting wild plants and ecosystem protection.