Improved nutrition and resilience will make conservation agriculture more attractive for Zambian smallholder farmers

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Blessing Mhlanga ◽  
Mulundu Mwila ◽  
Christian Thierfelder
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Grain Legumes ◽  
Protein Yield ◽  
Energy Yield ◽  
Total System ◽  
Crop Diversification ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition

Abstract Food and nutrition insecurity in southern Africa call for improvements in traditional agriculture systems. Conservation Agriculture (CA) based on minimum soil disturbance, permanent soil cover and crop diversification has been implemented as a strategy to maintain yields while safeguarding the environment. However, less focus has been placed on potential synergistic benefits on nutrition security. Maize-based systems may increase household income through selling but may not lead to proportionate reduction in malnutrition. Crop diversification in CA systems can have a direct impact on the nutritional status of farm households due to improved dietary diversity. Here we assess how the integration of grain legumes, cowpeas and soybeans, in maize-based CA systems either as intercrops or rotational crops affects maize grain yield and stability, total energy yield, protein yield and surplus calories after satisfying the daily requirement per household. The experiments were carried out from 2012 to 2020 (nine consecutive cropping seasons) in six eastern Zambian on-farm communities using 966 observations. Results show that intercropping compromises maize yields with marginal yield penalties of −5% compared to no-till monocropping. However, intercropped yields were more stable across environments. Total system caloric energy and protein yield were highest in intercropping systems due to higher productivity per unit land area owing to the additive contribution of both maize and legumes. Total system caloric energy and protein yield reached yearly averages of 60 GJ ha−1 and 517 kg ha−1, respectively, for the intercropping system as compared to 48 GJ ha−1 and 263 kg ha−1 in monocropped maize systems. Tillage-based monocrop resulted in the least stable yields. Our results suggest that intercropping maize with grain legumes in CA systems is a promising option for smallholder farming households to improve dietary diversity, dietary quality and stability of yields thus contributing to sustainable agriculture intensification while maintaining food and nutrition security.

scholarly journals On- and Off-Farm Diversification and Travel Time to Markets: Linkages to Food Security in Rural Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Bergau ◽  
Tim K. Loos ◽  
Orkhan Sariyev
Keyword(s):  
Travel Time ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Farm Diversification ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Production Diversity ◽  
On Farm

AbstractFood insecurity persists in large parts of Ethiopia. Recent literature suggests that both on-farm and off-farm diversification, as well as access to agricultural markets, may help improve household dietary diversity scores (HDDS) as an indicator for food and nutrition security. While the HDDS is frequently used, a diversity score for the production side has rarely been applied at a comparable level of (dis-)aggregation. Employing socio-economic data collected covering 400 Ethiopian smallholder farmers, this study investigates how the travel time to markets, non-farm income, and on-farm production diversity associate with household food and nutrition security. Findings suggest that production diversity and higher non-farm income are linked to more diverse diets. With longer travel time to markets, food consumption is less varied. Production diversity and increased market participation do not appear to be mutually exclusive, and thus, should be considered equally when developing policy interventions.

scholarly journals Impression of COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Systems, Natural Environmental Resources and Agriculture in India: A Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 120-131
Author(s):  
R. K. Naresh ◽  
Saurabh Tyagi ◽  
M. Sharath Chandra ◽  
B. Chandra Shekar ◽  
Pradeep Kumar Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Systems ◽  
Food System ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting food and nutrition security through economic and social systems shocks, food system disruptions and gaps in coverage of essential health and nutrition services. Food systems in low- and middle-income groups must adapt and strengthen food and nutrition security in the wake of COVID-19. Smallholder farmers are a crucial part of the food value chain in India, as well as a critical element of the global food system. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought new risks that threaten livelihoods as well as food security. Post the rabi harvest in April, farmers prepare for the next (kharif) season in May. However, the COVID-19 induced disruptions have reduced production capacity for farm inputs and have led to an increase in price, making these resources inaccessible to smallholder and marginal farmers in the country. The corona-virus pandemic has caused a global reduction in economic activity and although this is major cause for concern, the ramping down of human activity appears to have had a positive impact on the environment. The COVID-19 lockdown has several social and economic effects. Additionally, COVID-19 has caused several impacts on global migration. Carbon emissions have dropped, and the COVID-19 lockdown has led to an improvement in air quality and a reduction in water pollution in many cities around the globe. We found that the COVID-19 lockdown in India has primarily impacted farmers’ ability to sell their crops and livestock products and decreased daily wages and dietary diversity. In this context, we aim to synthesize the early evidence of the COVID-19 impact on the Indian agricultural system viz., production, marketing and consumption followed by a set of potential strategies to recover and prosper post-pandemic. Findings indicate that the pandemic has affected production and marketing through labour and logistical constraints, while the negative income shock restricted access to markets and increased prices of food commodities affecting the consumption pattern.

Food and Nutrition Security in Rural Bihar: Dimensions and Determinants

Social Change ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 396-419
Author(s):  
Swati Dutta ◽  
Sunil Kumar Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Food Consumption ◽  
Distribution System ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition

The level of food diversity in any household is an indicator of its healthy dietary habits. It depends on demographic and socio-economic conditions, geographic location, consumption habits and expenditure, cultural practices, income, food prices and the availability, access and utilisation of food. Against this backdrop, our study analyses the pattern of food consumption, dietary diversity, food frequency and the Recommended Dietary Allowance in 12 villages located in 6 districts of Bihar to understand the socio-economic determinants of a household’s food security. The results show that the diversity of food consumption is mainly dependent on the consumption of cereals across various socio-economic classes. Our analysis also emphasises the importance of schemes like the Public Distribution System which has a positive influence on food security outcomes of a household. The logistic regression results show that if the household belongs to the richest consumption class, with better education levels and more salaried members, then the probability of better food and nutrition security is high. In contrast, the low social status of a household, especially those from a Scheduled Caste background, will reveal reduced household food security.

scholarly journals Factors Associated with Household Food Security in Zambia

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 2715 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Nkomoki ◽  
Miroslava Bavorová ◽  
Jan Banout
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Land Tenure ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Household Food Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Household Food ◽  
Food And Nutrition

Food security is a global challenge and threatens mainly smallholder farmers in developing countries. The main aim of this paper is to determine factors that are associated with food security in Zambia. This study utilizes the household questionnaire survey dataset of 400 smallholder farmers in four districts conducted in southern Zambia in 2016. To measure food security, the study employs two food security indicators, namely the food consumption score (FCS) and the household hunger scale (HHS). Two ordered probit models are estimated with the dependent variables FCS and HHS. Both the FCS and HHS models’ findings reveal that higher education levels of household head, increasing livestock income, secure land tenure, increasing land size, and group membership increase the probability of household food and nutrition security. The results imply that policies supporting livestock development programs such as training of farmers in animal husbandry, as well as policies increasing land tenure security and empowerment of farmers groups, have the potential to enhance household food and nutrition security.

scholarly journals Sustainable Cucurbit Breeding and Production in Asia Using Public–Private Partnerships by the World Vegetable Center

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1171
Author(s):  
Narinder P.S. Dhillon ◽  
Suwannee Laenoi ◽  
Supornpun Srimat ◽  
Somchit Pruangwitayakun ◽  
Anil Mallappa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
F1 Hybrids ◽  
Breeding Lines ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Seed Industry ◽  
Sales And Marketing ◽  
Crop Field ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
The World ◽  
Luffa Acutangula

The mission of the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) is research and development to realize the potential of vegetables for healthier lives and more resilient livelihoods. WorldVeg operates across Asia and Africa, and its breeding portfolio comprises global as well as traditional vegetables. Cucurbit crops make an important contribution to global food and nutrition security and are economically important to smallholder farmers in Asia, who account for 83% of global cucurbit production. The global cucurbit breeding program of WorldVeg focuses on four species: bitter gourd (Momordica charantia), tropical pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata), ridge gourd (Luffa acutangula), and sponge gourd (Luffa cylindrica syn. L. aegyptiaca). Improved cultivars have been developed by the private seed industry, however, repeated recycling of lines derived from elite hybrids has narrowed the genetic base and reduced genetic gains for yield and other key traits. This trend will continue unless a concerted effort is made to introduce new genetic variability into elite hybrids. WorldVeg has organized a breeding consortium with seed companies to facilitate access to the Center’s new breeding lines derived from hitherto unexploited landraces to develop genetically diverse, improved cucurbit cultivars with enhanced yield and resistance to major diseases. Through this partnership, WorldVeg presents its improved lines and F1 hybrids at Crop Field Days for selection by private seed industry staff engaged in breeding, product development, and sales and marketing.

scholarly journals Depression among women of reproductive age in rural Bangladesh is linked to food security, diets and nutrition

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 660-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thalia M Sparling ◽  
Jillian L Waid ◽  
Amanda S Wendt ◽  
Sabine Gabrysch
Keyword(s):  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Women Of Reproductive Age ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Dominance Analysis ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition

AbstractObjective:To quantify the relationship between screening positive for depression and several indicators of the food and nutrition environment in Bangladesh.Design:We used cross-sectional data from the Food and Agricultural Approaches to Reducing Malnutrition (FAARM) trial in Bangladesh to examine the association of depression in non-peripartum (NPW) and peripartum women (PW) with food and nutrition security using multivariable logistic regression and dominance analysis.Setting:Rural north-eastern Bangladesh.Participants:Women of reproductive age.Results:Of 2599 women, 40 % were pregnant or up to 1 year postpartum, while 60 % were not peripartum. Overall, 20 % of women screened positive for major depression. In the dominance analysis, indicators of food and nutrition security were among the strongest explanatory factors of depression. Food insecurity (HFIAS) and poor household food consumption (FCS) were associated with more than double the odds of depression (HFIAS: NPW OR = 2·74 and PW OR = 3·22; FCS: NPW OR = 2·38 and PW OR = 2·44). Low dietary diversity (<5 food groups) was associated with approximately double the odds of depression in NPW (OR = 1·80) and PW (OR = 1·99). Consumption of dairy, eggs, fish, vitamin A-rich and vitamin C-rich foods was associated with reduced odds of depression. Anaemia was not associated with depression. Low BMI (<18·5 kg/m2) was also associated with depression (NPW: OR = 1·40).Conclusions:Depression among women in Bangladesh was associated with many aspects of food and nutrition security, also after controlling for socio-economic factors. Further investigation into the direction of causality and interventions to improve diets and reduce depression among women in low- and middle-income countries are urgently needed.

Food Consumption Pattern and Dietary Diversity in Nepal: Implications for Nutrition Security

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 397-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anjani Kumar ◽  
Praduman Kumar ◽  
P. K. Joshi
Keyword(s):  
Food Consumption ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
Nutritional Outcome ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Food Consumption Pattern

This article examines the status, progress and challenges of managing food and nutrition security in Nepal, one of the least developed countries, by using data from the national living standards surveys conducted jointly by Government of Nepal and World Bank. Nepal, like many other developing countries, is struggling to ensure food and nutrition security. This study analyses the dimensions of food security in terms of availability, access and utilization (nutritional outcome). The analysis shows that the trends in food consumption pattern and nutritional intake have changed significantly overtime. The diversity in dietary pattern has become more apparent over time and the dietary diversity depicts a positive impact on nutritional outcome.

scholarly journals Analyzing the Contribution of Crop Diversification in Improving Household Nutrition Security Among Wheat-dominated Rural Households in Sinana District, Bale Zone, Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dereje Derso ◽  
Degefa Tolossa ◽  
Abrham Seyoum
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Household Head ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Farm Income ◽  
Crop Diversification ◽  
Multivariate Logistic Regression ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Regional State

Abstract The long-term impact of malnutrition on people’s lives, most notably in health, education, and productivity, highly affects the human capital. Agriculture directly contributes to nutrition security by enabling farm households to access micronutrient food by using their farm income. This study was intended to assess effect of crop diversification on household nutrition security and explores determinants of under-five child malnutrition among rural farm households of Sinana Woreda, Oromia regional state. Multi-stage sampling followed by a systematic random sampling technique was used to include study subjects. Structured questionnaire, focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interview was used to collect data. Anthropometric measurements were collected and converted into Z-scores by WHO Anthro version 3.2.2., 2011 software. Then exported to STATA and analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Pearson Correlation coefficients was calculated to see the correlation of the nutrition security status indicators and crop diversification index. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was carried out to identify factors associated with child nutrition. The result revealed that the prevalence of malnutrition particularly, stunting was (23.81%), underweight (21.16%) and wasting (9.52%), respectively. The correlation coefficient indicates that crop diversification is negatively correlated with stunting and wasting and positively correlated with underweight and child dietary diversity score. Multivariate logistic regression model indicate that child nutritional status is strongly associated with age of household head, maternal and parental education, farm land size, TLU, availability of potable water, child sex, child dietary diversity, household access to toilet, total annual income, and household access to health services. In conclusion, policy and development interventions should target intensive agricultural production, development of rural infrastructure, education and awareness creation tools to provide households up to date nutritional knowledge and agricultural technologies to increase production and income, and thereby enhance household nutrition security.

scholarly journals Ameliorating Food and Nutrition Security in Farm Households: Does Informatization Matter?

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gershom Endelani Mwalupaso ◽  
Shangao Wang ◽  
Aseres Mamo Eshetie ◽  
Xu Tian
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Robust Regression ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Policy Formulation ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Farm Households ◽  
Regression Result ◽  
Food And Nutrition Security ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Food And Nutrition

Improving food and nutrition security in Sub-Saharan Africa’s farm households has become a prominent priority subject for researchers and policymakers alike. Interestingly, it is realized through enhancement in dietary diversity and quality. To this end, better access to food and information is considered a prerequisite. Given that mobile phone coverage offers new prospects for increasing rural households’ access to information, can informatization (mobile phone used as a concrete example) possibly influence dietary diversity and quality? Cross-sectional data collected from farm households in Zambia is used to address this topic by applying the ordinary least square and endogenous switching regression (ESR). Household dietary diversity score was constructed based on a 7-days recall approach to measure consumption patterns. Our robust regression result indicates that mobile phone use positively and significantly influences dietary diversity and quality. Particularly, gender-disaggregated regression reveals that male-headed households have stronger positive associations than their counterparts. We also find that in comparison to non-adopters, adopters consume three more foods weekly. This is attributable to the income gains and increased frequency in information access on account of mobile phone adoption. Conversely, average consumption would increase by two more foods weekly if mobile phones were adopted in non-adopting households. Therefore, our study puts forwards substantial empirical evidence to warrant policy formulation directed at promoting informatization among farm households. Eventually, this could possibly recuperate dynamism in agricultural food production as food and nutrition security in farm households ameliorates.

Smallholder Irrigation and Pathways to Food Security

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Burney ◽  
Halimatou Alaofè ◽  
Rosamond Naylor ◽  
Douglas Taren
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Developing Regions ◽  
Irrigation Project ◽  
Nutrition Security ◽  
Irrigation Technology ◽  
Multiple Dimensions ◽  
Food And Nutrition

&lt;p&gt;Irrigation can facilitate the expansion of agricultural production in multiple dimensions &amp;#8211; including increasing crop yields, extending the production calendar to previously unmanageable dry periods, and facilitating production of a diverse array of higher-valued crops like fruits and vegetables. For poor smallholder farmers, this productivity boost is assumed to lead an array of benefits, including improved economic conditions and better food and nutrition security, but results from many irrigation studies in developing regions of the world have been underwhelming. Here we explore the simple and intuitive hypothesis that the benefits to farmers and their families of using irrigation depend on how increases in production are utilized, including whether crops are consumed in the home, monetized, or put to other uses. We use data from a solar irrigation project in Benin, West Africa, and show how the same irrigation technology resulted in a range of impacts on hundreds of beneficiaries. This variation is largely explained by how much individual families either consumed or sold products, and how those changes in consumption and sales then translated into a broad range of benefits. These findings have important implications for work at the food-energy-water nexus, including design and evaluation of irrigation-based projects targeted at smallholders. Importantly, they suggest that historical evaluations of irrigation impacts have likely missed important pathways, and have thus under-estimated the total benefits of irrigation to smallholders in contexts like the semi-arid tropics.&lt;/p&gt;

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