Access to adequate clean water together with improved levels of nutrition, shelter, education and employment all contribute to a healthy and productive life.

1. Food quality and health

The quality and safety of food is a fundamental aspect of EU research, spurred by the growing concern and awareness of consumers regarding health and environmental issues. Alongside the high standards set by the EU for the marketing of agricultural products, there is a pressing need for systematic, cost-effective solutions to include the formation of integrated agro-food supply chains in developing countries.

INCO has addressed this subject during the past ten years in an interdisciplinary way. Policy and systems research was dedicated to promote sustainable settlement patterns. Food quality and safety issues were considered as a result of socio-economic changes in developing countries to be implemented according to policy and regulatory needs in these countries. The development of new risk assessment methods for the protection of human health and environment has become an increasingly important subject at the S&T level to ensure high-quality food supply chains. In particular, with the ever-increasing globalisation of trade, issues of quality standards and control, novel food and safety of GM-food have become a central concern to be addressed. The involvement of small and medium sized enterprises has been encouraged in the developing countries.

Equitable research partnerships between European and developing country scientists has resulted in a large number of projects in the food processing sector, some good practice examples of which are given below.

• Safe, high-quality food supply chains and trading networks

The role of soybean in China’s food system
The huge soybean economy in China was analysed in a major EU-funded project. The project came at a time when China, known as a net exporter of soybean, was fast becoming a net importer. It was a collaborative effort between five Chinese and three European partners, most of them well-known agricultural research institutions. The Chinese participants developed a mathematical model for the analysis of the national soybean economy. This showed that soybean production in China had benefited little from advances in scientific research, and far less than other ‘green revolution’ crops such as rice or wheat. At the same time, a survey by the partners of the production-processing-marketing chain in two Chinese provinces revealed that soybean cultivation does not appear to be able to meet the rapidly growing demand for the product. The problem was shown to be largely related to the soybean breeding material used which resulted in a variable quality of soybeans. The key to the solution appears to lie in further research efforts, which has already yielded important results, and in better targeted marketing practices. Such effects would encourage the use of high-quality seed stocks with improved crop yields and quality soybean able to compete on the world market. However, reform of the management of the whole commodity chain will ultimately be necessary – from producers to retailers.

Coffee processing and biological control methods
Ochratoxin A (OTA) occurs in many food types. However, little is known about its occurrence in coffee and how the problem should be addressed. This results from insufficient knowledge about the complex microbiota in the coffee environment and the lack of effective quality control systems in the producing countries.

Six EU and African partners are studying the microbiota during coffee processing from the picking of the ‘cherries’ to drying in an attempt to identify stages that are susceptible to mould growth and OTA contamination, and to develop biological control methods that can minimise mould growth. The final outcome will be to outline a hazard analysis and critical control point systems so that small-scale producers can use it to reduce the OTA contamination along the processing chain. This project recently became a joint project with FAO and WHO.

Workshop on ethical issues surrounding food biotechnology
The specific objective was the organisation of a workshop in July 2002 for high-level representatives of the major interested parties from each of the 25 Asia-Europe Summit (ASEM) countries, to discuss the ethical issues generated by the use of modern biotechnology in the agro-food sector, including intellectual property rights-, regulatory- and public perception-related aspects. Appropriate actions were to be proposed in three main areas of ethical consideration:

• The needs of the developing world in terms of food integrity and supply, and the biodiversity of crops;
  
• Research and commercial aspects of agriculture; and
  
• Biosafety and regulation, intellectual property rights, public perception and communication.

• Integrated approach for the prevention of food contamination

Control of mycotoxins in cereal production and processing chains in Latin America
Mycotoxin contamination of maize and wheat is one of the key issues concerning human and animal safety, health and food. It also has a strong negative socio-economic impact, as it reduces both domestic and international trading competitiveness in a country. A proposed project sets out to establish a Food Quality Management System (FQMS) for controlling mycotoxins in cereal chains in Latin America. This aims to make the most of the organisational and technological capabilities of the chain-stakeholder partnership in this European - South American collaboration. These are essentially the farmers, food cooperatives and various small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region. After collating what little data exists on occurrence of the disease, partners will develop and standardise effective analytical tools to measure the extent of mycotoxin contamination in national crops.

Biological degradation of aflatoxins in maize and sorghum
The primary objective of this project was to isolate organisms capable of breaking down aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in fermented maize and sorghum products. The focus was on fermented foods in the region of West Africa, the ultimate aim being to incorporate such an organism into the fermentation process. The project partners comprised research teams from Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria and two from EU countries.

The studies led to the discovery of three very promising strains, Rhodococcus erythropolis, Nocardia corynebacteroides and Mycobacterium spp. capable of AFB1 degradation. The team consequently applied for a patent for the practical applications identified in both the human and animal food industries – where AFB1 remains a major problem.

• Novel food

Improvement of sorghum’s protein quality and its introduction into staple food products
African and EU partners have undertaken to analyse the factors adversely affecting the digestibility of sorghum proteins. They investigated protein digestibility by altering the processing technologies, including malting and fermentation. The objective was to raise both the nutritional and economic status of people in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project yielded two improved sorghum products, bread and an instant type of weaning food, which were then subjected to consumer acceptability tests. Information about the results was distributed among potential consumers and industrial partners. A final workshop held in South Africa was successful in transferring know-how to decision-makers, entrepreneurs and industrialists from each of the participating African countries.

Gari is a traditional fermented cassava-based staple food and is the main energy source for many people in West Africa. However, cassava contains very low levels of protein, bringing about protein deficiency when used as the only substrate for gari production.

In a new research partnership project between EU and East and West African scientists, fortified gari will be evaluated for both nutritional quality (protein, fat, energy, mineral and vitamin content, etc.) and its shelf-life properties. The technology for pilot plant production of enriched gari, using starter culture packs, will be evaluated. The production and marketability of this product will be investigated in both West and East Africa and the socio-economic impact of the project assessed, especially on women’s groups.

Under-utilised sea fish in Africa and Asia – processing for direct human consumption
Over-fishing – mainly of lean varieties of fish – is a world-wide problem, yet the oceans off the coasts of Africa and Asia contain vast amounts of fatty fish. The challenge was to develop new nutritionally rich and tasty sources of food from this fatty fish by improving storage and processing. A systematic and innovative study on how to achieve this involved close collaboration in equal partnership among research institutes from Europe, Africa and Asia.

The physical and chemical properties of fat and flesh of different species of potentially useful fish were investigated. As a result, some inexpensive, nutritionally rich and tasty products were developed including infant foods, snacks and breakfast foods. The snacks were favourably evaluated for consumer acceptability in both Ghana and the Netherlands. In addition, advanced analytical techniques were used to study the biochemical changes that occur during processing that can lead to reduced waste, and ways of accomplishing this were explored, for example by using antioxidants.

2. Water for life

• Sanitation and hygiene promotion programmes

Local water management programmes in Central Asia and the Mediterranean, water supply and sanitation, and water for food in the ACP countries, in Asia and in Latin America are ongoing activities being funded by the EC. They are based on policies for water and sanitation as a basic social service for poverty reduction in relation to health, rural development and environment. During the past decade the EU has tackled this problem through a multidisciplinary approach, from research on policies and educational strategies to the development or improvement of cost-effective and efficient technologies.

Assessing water, sanitation and hygiene education
A sound information and knowledge base is needed for effective actions in sanitation and hygiene education in developing countries. A project with EU and South African specialists sets out to determine the ‘added-value’ in terms of health and socio-economic factors that occur when sanitation and hygiene education are combined with water quality interventions in South Africa. Research will attempt to evaluate the relative cost-effectiveness of different intervention mixes and service levels to inform policy-makers further. Three key issues will be addressed: Does the provision of water and sanitation in isolation have health benefits? What do the communities themselves want? and What is the long-term sustainability? The consortium will provide input for the health personnel of the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry.

• Sustainability of changes in hygiene behaviour

An active network has been built to promote hygiene practices and monitor the sustainability of behavioural changes during the years after a hygiene promotion intervention. It also aims to gain insights into the nature of those changes. The partnership comprises teams from the EU, Asia and Africa. The study is focused mainly on hand washing, availability of facilities and use, maintenance of a latrine and water storage. The expected outcome is to influence policy to increase the effectiveness of water and sanitation programmes.

• Strategic approach to implementing policies

Involvement of private capital and enterprise in Latin America
The recent increased but uneven expansion of private capital investment in the Water and Sanitation Management (WSM) sector of developing countries will have an impact on equity. A collaborative network of experts from three EU and six South American countries is being consolidated to examine the impact and to implement policies. The study attempts to identify the socio-economic factors, policy conditions, and implementation steps necessary for
sustainable development in WSM systems. The results are expected to provide alternative policy options and prestructured scenarios for the achievement of sustainable WSM in developing countries.

• Management technologies for water quality

Roof water harvesting
An EC project involving partners in the EU and India identified the health implications of the widespread drinking of domestic roof water (DRW) in India. The results of a survey conducted by the research team in India and Sri Lanka revealed that users rarely monitor water quality properly. The physical appearance of the water was nearly always enough to satisfy the user. Where gutters did not have roofs actually hanging over them, the rainwater collected there was generally regarded as drinkable. Only some users who were aware of the dangers of bacterial contamination, boiled or chlorinated the water before drinking. Overall, in fact, the bacteriological quality did not meet WHO standards. The survey also showed that mosquito larvae were common in storage tanks, so the research focused on these aspects. The results of this study are now providing technical assistance to an ongoing DRW programme in India. The Indian government is strongly supportive, in view of the fact that a climate of acceptance towards drinking roof water is appearing because of increasing water scarcity and contamination, in addition to population growth. School buildings and industrial plants in India have already started to adopt the required technology, while professional consultants are also helping to propagate it.

Treatment for safe drinking water
As a result of the overuse of fertiliser and plant-protection agents, nitrates and pesticides in groundwater are present where unsustainable agricultural practices prevail. This is creating major problems for the drinking water supply, especially in rural areas. Research teams from the EU and the Mediterranean are developing a low-cost and low-tech process for the removal of nitrates (e.g. sea weed, sugar cane) and pesticides based on ‘simple’ biological methods. These processes, in combination with a subsequent treatment by slow sand filtration, may be the solution in rural areas, which need small, easy to handle drinking water treatment units.

Solar-catalysis for recycling textile wastewater
The textile industry is widespread in Mediterranean countries, using huge amounts of well and drinking water and discharging toxic and recalcitrant substances. The EC is funding a pilot study on the use of solar energy to treat effluents from textile mills in the region. Solar-catalytic treatment was chosen because solar energy is available in the Mediterranean, and the technology is simple and easy to operate. However, full-scale applications do not exist, so solar-catalytic treatment has been adapted to local conditions. Although catalytic pretreatment (homogenisation/ precipitation/sedimentation) by itself removes many of the toxic substances, others still remain. Solar exposure eliminates coloration, and oxidises many of the remaining residues. The study showed that combining solar energy and catalytic conversion in wastewater pretreatment could prove significantly more efficient and less expensive than the conventional technologies. Moreover, reuse of the treated wastewater is particularly safe because it is disinfected by the solar-catalytic process. Therefore, applying this process should lead to lower overall water consumption.

Resources in times of drought
Assuring water supply is one of the pillars on which sustainable development of the Mediterranean region relies. In this context it is important to develop scientific and technological know-how for improving management of water resources for scenarios of acute water shortage. Particular attention is being paid to the reuse of treated wastewater for irrigation and the utilisation of deep groundwater. Thus, a collaboration between researchers from EU countries and from Cyprus, Egypt, Israel and Jordan – all in Mediterranean areas prone to drought – is examining ways of exploiting existing marginal water sources as an alternative to over-exploitation of underground water reserves. Modelling tools and decision-making criteria will be applied to ensure that existing water supplies are less vulnerable. The major output will be the development and application of a decision support system for efficient water management of conventional and marginal water sources in countries under drought conditions.

Bacterial regrowth in the water supply
A consortium between EU and Mediterranean partner countries (Lebanon, Palestine, and the Water Authority of Jordan) has worked together to explore ways of restricting bacterial regrowth in water distribution systems. It found that bacteria multiplied frequently (between ten and 100 times) in both continuous and intermittent systems, and appeared to be associated with the cyclical emergence and sloughing of biofilms. The major increase in bacterial concentration (up to 100 000 times) occurs not in the distribution system but in household storage tanks, a component of the intermittent systems. Water-quality assurance in such systems is currently inaccurate due to lack of understanding of the mechanisms of bacterial proliferation. Thus, modelling the bacterial changes during distribution and storage has led to better management of the quality problems.