Kastom Gaden launches orange banana and sweet potato posters…
Printed in 2008
Kastom Gaden Association has launched two posters to promote traditional varieties of bananas and sweet potato with orange coloured flesh which are high in vitamin A.
Vitamin A is important for nutrition – particularly for children. By growing eating staple crops that are higher than normal in Vitamin A deficiencies can be prevented. Other sources of Vitamin A include leafy greens such as pumpkin tips and slippery kabis.
The promotion of these varieties is part of a long term strategy of Kastom Gaden to promote on-farm conservation of agriculture biodiversity for its benefits for food security, nutrition and sustainable agriculture.
Bananas from Makira, Solomon Islands
Carotenoid-rich varieties
Grow and eat orange and yellow-fleshed banana varieties to help protect against:
- malaria
- diabetes
- heart disease
- certain cancers
- vitamin A deficiency (infections and night blindness)
- anaemia (weak blood).
Project funded by ACIAR/Harvest Plus, Secretariat of the Pacific Communities Land Resource Division/French Pacific Fund.
The Banana varieties are part of PMN farmer collections in Makira and the sweet potato was collected from KGA farmer run germplasm centres. Nutritional analysis of the vitamin A was carried out in Queensland.
Poster development by Wendy Foley in collaboration with Loise Englberger, Graham Lyons, Jeff Daniells, Mary Taylor, Claudine Watoto, Ellen Iramu, Belden Taki, Joyce Murray, John Murray, Frances Wehi, Goretty Wehi, Dorothy Tamasia, Peter Warito and Pita Tikai.
Photos by Jeff Daniells and Loise Englberger.
