ABSTRACT

A review of the literature has shown that human consumption of vegetables is far from sufficient in most developing countries. FAO has recommended a daily intake of 200 g vegetables per capita, which comes to 73 kg per annum, to ensure an adequate nutritive diet (Desai, 1992). Only a few countries can meet or exceed this requirement; vegetable consumption in all African countries is far lower. While hard data are scarce for consumption and production of vegetables, micronutrient deficiency consequent to its absence in the diet is better documented. Two billion people, mostly women and children, are deficient in one or more micronutrients (FOS, 1995). The important preventive role of

Environment and Crop Production

micronutrients in many human diseases and disorders has long been known, since the beginning of the twentieth century. A global initiative to fight micronutrient deficiencies in developing countries was taken in 1992 at FAO/WHO International Nutrition Conference in Rome, because of the remarkably high prevalence of deficiency symptoms. Micronutrients are those substances which the body requires only in small amounts, namely minerals, trace elements and vitamins, in particular iron, vitamin A and iodine, which top the list of micronutrient deficiency when quantitative aspects of nutrition are considered (NIHORT, 1989).