Paradox between malnutrition and nutritional richness of foods in Madagascar: the example of Moringa oleifera

Madagascar has two faces: a developing country with a high percentage of population under poverty scale, and a country rich in natural resources. Only few studies examined this paradox between malnutrition prevalence and food availability. In other developing countries Moringa oleifera (MO) was proposed as a potential solution for its high nutritional value. In Madagascar this plant grows in the wild.The present research investigated why MO leaves are not part of Malagasy diet and how it could be introduce as daily food. A first study examined the actual nutritional composition of Malagasy MO leaves, and a second one the perceived nutritional value of these leaves by Malagasy people.Results …