Background

The Strengthen PSNP5 Institutions and Resilience (SPIR II) Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) in Ethiopia is a five-year project (2021-2026) funded by USAID/BHA. This is a graduation model social protection program that supports implementation of the fifth phase of the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP5) in Amhara and Oromia regions and provides complementary livelihood, nutrition, gender and climate resilience activities to strengthen the program and expand its impacts. The main objectives of SPIR II are to achieve sustained nutrition security, reduced risks to livelihoods, and strengthened social safety nets, reinforced by strong human capital, social cohesion, transformed social and gender dynamics, and a sustainable natural resources base. Under funding from USAID’s Food for Peace (FFP) Initiative and in close collaboration with the Government of Ethiopia, World Vision leads implementation of the SPIR II RFSA, in partnership with the Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara (ORDA) and CARE. The SPIR II RFSA will serve nearly 500,000 PNSP clients in 19 of the most vulnerable woredas in Amhara and Oromia regions of Ethiopia.

Statement of Work

IFPRI seeks a qualified research partner to conduct a study on the nutritional value, food safety, and shelf-life of dry foods in order to develop knowledge on the process of traditional drying/preservation methods, packaging, and storing of vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, and legume-cereal and vegetable-mixed flour in rural Ethiopia. The ultimate aim of this study is to explore the possibility of evening out seasonality of access to nutritious foods.

Tasks

• Review the evidence on the potential for preserved foods to improve diet quality for vulnerable household members and extend the availability of nutritious foods into periods when fresh nutrient foods are less commonly available,
• Conduct linear programming to optimize mixed flour and ensure its processing quality, functional properties, and nutritional composition through lab testing.
• Conduct controlled laboratory drying to assess the effectiveness of home-based drying methods for preserving nutrients/retention shelf life in preserved foods (lean meat, pumpkin, carrot, Swiss chard /Ethiopian kale) and safe storage.
• Selection of desirable tastes and flavors and validation of acceptance of dried food and adaptation of drying technique for lean meat, vegetables (Ethiopian Kale or Swiss Chard, Carrot, and pumpkin), and mixed–flour

Activities:

Phase 1:

Conduct a scoping review of existing scientific and gray literature on home-based food preservation techniques (including salting, sun/air, thermal, and solar drying, among others), packing, and storage practices. Foods to be considered include vegetables, fruits, eggs, lean meat, and homemade mixed flour. The review will also explore the acceptability and feasibility of adopting food drying techniques in a context comparable to the project locations.

· Focus on how they maintained Safety, nutrient retention, and long shelf life throughout drying, packing, and storing dried products.

· Ensure the pre-treatment processes are better for nutrient retention (especially protein, iron, zinc, and vitamins C and A), taste, flavor, and texture of the dried product.

· Recommend feasible drying techniques, safe packing, storage, and pre-treatment that can be easily adapted in rural contexts.

Conduct a linear programming model to determine an optimal legume-cereal mix in composition, quantity, and nutrient content.

Exploring the optimal composition of low-cost formulated complementary flour mix using affordable local ingredients.

• Explore how to enhance nutrient availability in formulated complementary food mix using soaking, roasting, germinating, drying, and salting.
• Assessing shelf life, safe packing, and safe storage techniques of formulated complementary flour mix in rural contexts

Testing of formulated complementary flour Mix: The formula will be prepared at the laboratory. The theoretical formulations will be validated by checking their processing quality, functional properties, and nutritional composition. A semi-trained panelist will conduct a sensorial test to choose the most acceptable alternative formulation. Following this, the selected taste will undergo a caregiver acceptance trial in urban PSNP clients.

Phase 1 deliverables: A report detailing the findings of the scoping review and a protocol summarizing results from linear programming on optimal mixed flour.

Phase II:

Upon submission of the Phase One deliverables, IFPRI and the SPIR II team will determine if the Research Group/ Consultant should proceed with this task and whether any modifications to the scope are required.

Conduct controlled laboratory drying to assess the effectiveness of home-based drying methods for preserving nutrients/retention and shelf life in preserved foods (lean meat, pumpkin, carrot, Swiss chard /Ethiopian kale). These should include:

• Nutritional value analysis (Lean meat will be tested for protein, while vegetables will be tested for Vitamins A &C, zinc, and iron).
• Microbial analysis and shelf life
• Based on the lab results, develop a protocol on how rural communities can safely dry the above-mentioned foods, while ensuring high nutritional content, safer storage, and longer shelf life.

Conduct testing acceptability with semi-trained panelists to evaluate the most desirable tastes and flavors. Further, to ensure acceptance and demand, these selected tastes will undergo validation through consumer acceptance trials for tests, flavors, and drying techniques on urban PSNP clients in Addis, the most diversified population segment and experiencing mixed cultures and traditions

o Develop protocol in close coordination with the SPIR II consortium.

o Submission of the study protocol to a local IRB

o Conduct preparatory work, including procuring all supplies and equipment for lab studies.

o Take primary responsibility for conducting training and fieldwork. Seek approval from the Project Leader for any change in the training or implementation plans.

· Prepare a final report that synthesizes and summarizes study findings and recommendations (from Phases I and II) that support the food preservation process (drying, packaging, and storage) of selected vegetables, fruits, meat, and egg, as well as the homemade mixed flour, and develop a protocol and training manual.

Required Qualifications

• Nutrition academic professional with applied research experience conducting studies in rural Ethiopia.
• Demonstrated experience with mathematical models, exposure to different food preservation studies, and laboratory tests.
• Strong program management skills: demonstrated experience in successfully coordinating field teams and managing timely deliverables.