Changing Perception through a Participatory Approach by Involving Adolescent School Children in Evaluating Smart Food Dishes in School Feeding Programs – Real-Time Experience from Central and Northern Tanzania

Wangari, C and Mwema, C and Siambi, M and Silim, S and Ubwe, R and Malesi, K and Anitha, S and Kane-Potaka, J (2020) Changing Perception through a Participatory Approach by Involving Adolescent School Children in Evaluating Smart Food Dishes in School Feeding Programs – Real-Time Experience from Central and Northern Tanzania. Ecology of Food and Nutrition (TSI). pp. 1-14. ISSN 0367-0244

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Abstract

The study aimed to test the prospects for, and acceptance of, pigeonpea and finger millet-based dishes in a school feeding program for 2822 adolescents’ in Central Tanzania. The focus was on incorporating nutritious and resilient crops like finger millet and pigeonpea through a participatory approach involving series of theoretical and practical training sessions, for the period of 6 months on the nutritional quality and sensory characteristics of these two unexplored foods in Tanzania. Sharing knowledge on the nutritional value of these crops and involving students in the acceptance study changed their negative perception of finger millet and pigeonpea by 79.5% and 70.3%, respectively. Fifteen months after the study period, schools were still continued feeding the dishes and more than 95% of the students wanted to eat the finger millet and pigeonpea dishes at school. Around 84.2% of the students wanted to include pigeonpea 2–7 times a week and 79.6% of the students wanted to include finger millet on all 7 days in school meal. The study proved that it is possible to change food perceptions and bring about behavior change by sharing knowledge on their benefits and by engaging the consumers through a participatory and culturally appropriate approach.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Research Program : East & Southern Africa Strategic Marketing and Communication
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Perception, Pigeonpea, Finger millet, Acceptance, Smart Food
Subjects:	Others > Smart Foods Others > Participatory Modeling Others > Tanzania Others > Food and Nutrition
Depositing User:	Mr Arun S
Date Deposited:	01 Apr 2020 09:01
Last Modified:	01 Apr 2020 09:03
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/11430
Official URL:	https://doi.org/10.1080/03670244.2020.1745788
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australian Government for Smart Food initiative
Acknowledgement:	The authors thank the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) of the Australian Government for funding this research, through the Innovation Exchange. The authors thank the school’s principals, teachers, chefs, parents, students, extension staff, and the district council office who participated and supported in this study. Authors also thank the Prime Minister’s office for their engagement, advice and support to be able to conduct this study, especially, Mr Augustine K Olal. There is also a wide range of people who believe in the importance of this work and willingly contributed their time to help. Appreciation goes to Dr. Takuji W. Tsusaka for his review comments and Mr Ashok Jalagam and Mr Sridhar Iriventi for their involvement and supportduring the scopingstudy. Participantsof theworkshopwereintegral in selectingandfinetuning the approach and methodology to be used. This included Harold Lema, AMDT; Cosmas Maganga, ETG Farmers Foundation; Dr Elifatio E Towo, Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre (TFNC);NehemiahTaylorMburu,AfricaHarvest;AgathaTLaizer,Halisiproducts;JoyceMmasi, Daniel Loiruck and David Elias, Fed Foods; Acquiline Wamba and Muviwata, Farmers Network; John Msuya, Sokoine University of Agriculture; Nehemiah Taylor Mburu and Doreen Marangu, AfricaHarvest;YustoMNkandila,SARI;AlaikLaizerandJuliusOchieng,WorldVegetableCenter; JovinusEMboweandLameckMNyaligwa,SOMNI-SARIproject;andotherICRISATstaffEdward Bikketi, Mavis Eleanor Manyasa, Njeri Maina, Nathaniel Kioko, and Oscar Kololi.
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