We use cookies on our website. Some are necessary for the operation of the website. You can also allow cookies for statistical purposes. You can adjust the data protection settings or agree to all cookies directly.
Agriculture and Dietary Diversity in Africa (ADDA)
Project
Project code: 2813FSNU01
Contract period: 01.01.2015
- 31.07.2018
Budget: 849,990 Euro
Purpose of research: Applied research
Keywords: Kenya, Malawi, Uganda, Ethiopia, global food security, knowledge transfer, networking, food pattern, nutritional information / recommendation, food security, human nutrition
The aim of this project is to improve the knowledge on agriculture-nutrition linkages in the African small farm sector and develop approaches how the uptake of pro-nutrition innovations can be promoted. Representative household data from four countries (Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda) will be analyzed to better understand the relationship between agricultural production diversity and nutritional quality under different conditions. Results will be used to identify concrete innovations and strategies to improve nutrition. New models of nutrition-sensitive and gender-equitable community outreach will be developed, tested, and compared through randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and rigorous impact assessment. The research is carried out in close partnership with the NGO Africa Harvest and the University of Nairobi. Representative household data from four African countries (Ethiopia, Malawi, Kenya, Uganda) will be compiled and analyzed with statistical methods. Econometric models will be developed to estimate the influence of agricultural production diversity and other factors on household nutrition. Through explicitly considering heterogeneous conditions, we will be able to derive broader conclusions about suitable agricultural strategies aimed at improving dietary diversity and nutritional quality. We expect that suitable strategies will differ by market access and other economic and social conditions. The important role of gender relations will receive particular attention in the analysis. We will also develop and test new models of community outreach for the effective delivery and sustainable uptake of pro-nutrition innovations. We will use randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and rigorous evaluation methods to assess impacts of the innovations and outreach models on poverty and various nutrition indicators. The role of social networks for the spread of information will also be analyzed. The knowledge generated can be used by development organizations to improve the design of their technology transfer and extension programs in a nutrition-sensitive way. We expect that some of the results will be suitable to be scaled up for wider coverage.
Section overview
Subjects
- Agroeconomics
- Nutritional behaviour