Investigating the current and potential role of local biodiversity in meeting nutritional requirements of infants and young children in rural Southern Benin

Research question: Why in the presence of high diversity of food sources undernutrition exists at high level in infants and young children in villages of Bopa and Houeyogbe Districts in southern Benin?
Objective: To assess the role of local biodiversity in meeting nutritional requirements of infants and young children in rural Southern Benin. Dietary intake data at detailed taxonomic level, collected from Mono department, Bopa and Houéyogbé communes, rural areas. October - December 2013 / May-July 2014.
A 24 recall was used to collect data. 2 non-consecutives recalls with 5-7 days separating the recall periods were conducted. This dataset contains only data from the first recall day. Primary care givers, mainly mothers were interviewed. Standardized household units (plate, glasses, spoons, etc) and monetary value for out-of-home meals together with a detailed description of the foods and mode of preparation. During a preceding ethnobotancial study to document all locally available foods from local agrobiodiversity, a botanist from the national herbarium and a local ichthyologist and an expert in the mammals, birds and reptiles assisted in the species identification. Food composition tables used to tranform food intake data into nutrient intakes: Stadlmayr B, et al. (2012) West African Food Composition Table. (Rome), p 148. Barikmo I, Ouattara F, & Oshaug A (2004) Table de composition d'aliments du Mali. in Research series No. 9. (Norway). Oguntona E & Akinyele I (1995) Nutrient Composition of Commonly Eaten Foods in Nigeria - Raw, processed and prepared. in Publication Series 1995 (Ibadan, Nigeria), p 131; software used: Lucille dietary intake software Ugent