Recently, the XI Latin America Nutrition Conference was convened
in Guatemala City. Nutrition educators and scientists from
throughout Latin America and from most countries of the world
attended the conference. Benson Institute–sponsored researchers
presented nine of the 650 papers given at the conference,
and two of the Benson papers were judged among the best. This
Benson Institute Review highlights the work of our Guatemalan
conference participants.
The Benson Institute works cooperatively with the students
and faculty of the University of San Carlos to investigate
the nutritional needs of rural Guatemalans. Students work
with us during two phases of their education. Each nutrition
student must complete a year’s internship, half of which is
spent in a hospital, and the remainder in community teaching
and research. Second, undergraduates are required to spend
a year at the conclusion of their education conducting a thesis
study. We work cooperatively with students during both their
internship experience and their thesis research in solving
important nutritional problems plague the rural communities.
We work closely with the students in the development of their
research and teaching protocols to ensure relevance of the
study and quality of the research.
The work reported in this Review was completed in the rural
communities of Salitrón, Chancó, and Corral de Piedra. The
level of malnutrition among children in these communities
reaches 80 percent. To find solutions to this grave problem,
our student researchers investigated vitamin A levels in common
foods, development of soybean-fortified tortillas, the nutritional
value of common foods, and the nutritional habits of women
during pregnancy and lactation. Others developed guidelines
on nutrition education and food guides for infants.
From 1990 to 1995 the Institute worked closely with the 450
families in southeastern Guatemala in the Family Self-Reliance
program. Part of that program involved extending micro-credit
for farming enterprises. The Review features the impact of
this program on Doña Prudencia Ramos, a single mother with
six children, whose life was changed dramatically as a result
of this effort.
The Ezra Taft Benson Agriculture and Food Institute relies
on both Latin American and BYU students to accomplish the
majority of its work. At any given time, approximately 40
to 50 Latin American students are working with the Institute
to solve nutrition and food production problems in their native
countries. In Provo, we employ 8 BYU students who translate,
interpret, and prepare for publication the findings of their
Latin American counter-parts. Two of these BYU students, Susan
Eldredge and Jessica Hess, are primarily responsible for the
preparation of the articles and the design of the Benson Institute
Review. Both are honors students--—Susan in Botany and Range
Science and Jessica in Agronomy and Horticulture—and are completing
their honors thesis work in part through the Institute. Recently,
Susan accepted a prestigious National Science Foundation fellowship
to complete doctoral work at the University of Minnesota in
the field of plant genetics and breeding. Our congratulations
and appreciation are extended to both of these outstanding
students.
In November 1998, Dr. N. Paul Johnston, director of the
Ezra Taft Benson Agriculture and Food Institute presented
Dr. Clayton S. Huber (left) with a Benson Institute Humanitarian
Service Award for outstanding contribution to the Institute.
Dr. Huber served as dean of the College of Biology and Agriculture
from 1988 through June of 1998. His dedication to the Benson
Institute’s mission of improving the quality of life for people
around the world has had a vital impact on the recent work
of the Institute. Since completing his tenure as dean, Dr.
Huber has returned to full-time teaching and research in the
Department of Food Science and Nutrition.
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