Research by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) shows that children living in areas of Africa with heavy tree cover tend to have more nutritious diets.

The research, published in Global Environmental Change, makes the case for moving beyond merely increasing production area or yield of staple crops (such as rice, maize and wheat) to achieve food security. Forests and trees also have an important role in food security.

The study draws on dietary data from demographic health surveys of 93,000 children between the ages of 1 and 5 from 21 African countries. When combined with data on tree cover, there is a statistically significant positive correlation between tree cover and dietary diversity.

Amy Ickowitz, an economist with CIFOR who conducted the research, gives 3 possible explanations for this:

• Children who live in areas close to forests probably have greater access to wild fruit, leafy greens, grubs, snails and bush meat
• Households that plant or harvest agroforests on their land may benefit from increased access to fruits and nuts from trees
• Farming techniques used in more heavily forested areas may result in more nutritious diets because they often involve mixing complex mosaics of multiple crops.

“The results suggest that deforestation might have a long-term negative effect on nutrition,” says Ickowitz

Read the full story on CIFOR Forests News: Study highlights link between tree cover and nutrition in children

Download the paper: Dietary quality and tree cover in Africa