Designing Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture Activities
Ladd
Agriculture and nutrition are linked at all stages of the food value chain, from production to markets to final usage by the food consumer. However, agricultural value chain programs and nutrition programs have different goals. The former aims to raise incomes through increased production, improved quality, improved storage and greater efficiency, which result in higher prices, while nutrition programs aim specifically to improve nutritional status. Strategies to improve nutrition within agricultural value chain programs have traditionally been driven primarily by the nutrition sector. To achieve positive nutrition outcomes within an agricultural value chain project, nutritionists analyze localized macronutrient and micronutrient deficits and select “nutrition” crops to address those specific requirements. This one-sided approach often neglects the priorities of agricultural programs, such as increased production, improved market linkages and increased incomes, which may or may not work with “nutrition” crops. In contrast, agricultural programs focus on increasing incomes and improving availability of food for the food insecure (who are often nutritionally vulnerable), but these interventions alone have not been sufficient to improve nutrition.