scholarly journals Mainstreaming Nutrition into Agricultural Extension: Two Projects that Integrated Agricultural Intervention

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manika Saha
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Agricultural Extension ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Integrated Agriculture ◽  
Nutrition Sensitive ◽  
Agriculture Extension ◽  
The Impact

This objective of this study, conducted from February to May 2016, was to document lessons learned from two food security projects implemented in Bangladesh since 2013. The two projects are the “Integrated Agriculture and Health Based Interventions” (IAHBI3) project and the “Improving Food Security of Women and Children by Enhancing Backyard and Small Scale Poultry Production in Southern Delta Region” (referred to in this text as simply the “poultry project”). Both projects are particular examples where governmental, i.e., public instead of private or nongovernmental organization (NGO) run, agriculture extension programs are purposefully integrating nutrition into their services. The study addressed questions such as how these two projects integrate nutrition into AES, what approach was used (e.g., Farmer Field School (FFS)), what were the main nutrition-sensitive interventions, what capacity building/development and training was carried out, and what the perceptions about the impact of the project are among staff and beneficiaries. Exploring these questions helped identify lessons learned from the projects, what constraints had to be overcome and what gaps may still exist, as well as recommendations for future implementation and scaling up of similar interventions. Note that this study is neither an assessment nor an evaluation of either project. Formal end line surveys have been completed and the findings are expected to be published by August 2016 (FAO Bangladesh, 2016a and 2016b).This report is intended for a broad audience interested in practical tips on how to integrate nutrition into agricultural extension. It provides access to information from projects internal reports that are otherwise not available to the public at large. The lessons learned and recommendations made are indicative and really intended to stimulate discussion among organizations tasked with pursuing similar aims as the projects presented here. The lessons learned and recommendations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) or of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Bangladesh. Many statements reflect the comments made by key informants and by farmers themselves. The reader may or may not agree with them but the points made merit further discussion. The objectives of this assignment were to: 1. Document the nutrition-sensitive interventions those were implemented; 2. Explain how nutrition was integrated into the Agriculture Extension Services (AES); 3. Assess perceptions, challenges, identify opportunities for strengthening these services and obtain recommendations from relevant selected government officials, beneficiaries, and former project’s implementers on how to integrate nutrition into (AES); 4. Develop lessons learned to inform future programme and policy development.

scholarly journals The Impact of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies on Income and Food Security: Empirical Evidence from Small-Scale Fishers in Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7905
Author(s):  
Moh. Shadiqur Rahman ◽  
Hery Toiba ◽  
Wen-Chi Huang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation ◽  
Substantial Effect ◽  
Adaptation Strategies ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Probit Regression ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Climate Change Adaptation Strategies

The impacts of climate change on marine capture fisheries have been observed in several studies. It is likely to have a substantial effect on fishers’ income and food security. This study aims to estimate the impact of adaptation strategies on fishers’ income and their household’s food security. Data were collected from small-scale fishers’ households, which own a fishing boat smaller or equal to five gross tonnages (GT). The study sites were the two coastal regions of Malang and Probolinggo in East Java, Indonesia, due to the meager socioeconomic resources caused by climate change. A probit regression model was used to determine the factors influencing the fishers’ adaptation. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to evaluate the impact of the adaptation strategies on income and food security. Food security was measured by food consumption score (FCS). The findings indicated that participation in the fishers’ group affected adaptation strategies significantly, and so did the access to credit and climate information. Also, PSM showed that the adaptation strategies had a positive and significant impact on fishers’ income and food security. Those who applied the adaptation strategies had a higher income and FCS than those who did not. This finding implies that the fishery sector’s adaptation strategies can have significant expansion outcome and reduce exposure to risks posed by climate change. Therefore, the arrangement of more climate change adaptation strategies should be promoted by the government for small-scale fishers in Indonesia.

From the field: Empowering women to improve family food security in Afghanistan

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clair Sophia Wilcox ◽  
Stephanie Grutzmacher ◽  
Rebecca Ramsing ◽  
Amanda Rockler ◽  
Christie Balch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Farmer Field Schools ◽  
Extension Educators ◽  
Kitchen Gardens ◽  
Food Security And Nutrition ◽  
Field Schools ◽  
The University ◽  
Women In Agriculture

AbstractKitchen gardens may improve family food security and nutrition. While these gardens are the domain of women in Afghanistan, women face unique challenges accessing training and resources to maximize small-scale agricultural output. The University of Maryland's Women in Agriculture Project builds capacity among female extension educators to work with vulnerable women to implement and maintain kitchen gardens. Extension educators use experiential methods to teach vegetable gardening, apiculture, small-scale poultry production, post-harvest handling and processing, nutrition and marketing through workshops, demonstration gardens and farmer field schools. This paper explores contextual factors related to women's food security and agricultural opportunities, describes key project activities and approaches and discusses project success and challenges, sustainability and implications for future programs.

scholarly journals Revisit to Policy Formulation for Climate-Smart Agriculture in India

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (9S2) ◽  
pp. 109-116
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Agricultural Productivity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
The Impact

Potential influence of water stress, climate change, erosion of fertility, unorganized agro-financing practices in agricultural-yields espoused with incongruity in regulating and developing the credible distribution mechanism for the resilience of computable equilibrium in the supply chain have warranted the continuing negative economic implications relating to agricultural production-patterns as well as ensuring food security of the country. An authoritative introspection for the sustainability of agro-economic policy in consistence with the increasing population becomes the cry of the hour of the country. Sensitivity-variance of different crops to warming though confines the scopes and preferences of territoriality of productivity however, the complexity of impact of climate-change on agricultural productivity necessitates the appraisal and interrelations of physical, economic and social factors as well changing ecological imbalances. The attempt to bring structural reforms in the farming practices in weather variability context in the country requires financial support for the marginal and small-scale farmers as farming practices are predominantly adapted to local climates. The global character of atmospheric circulation and the impact of ecological and climate-changes encourage combined use of climate, crop, and economic models for sustaining growth of supply chain to market. In addition, the increasing deterioration of agricultural production due to the eventuality of climate-change and eventual ecological imbalance considerably would affect the trade balance of the country for the legislative mandate of food security. To transform the progressive move of LPG (Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization) into secured and sustainable agro-economy to save our planet from the ravages of climate change, a comprehensive schematic approach involves configuration of legal and policy tools containing thereof: a) ‘spillover costs’ of agricultural productivity due to increased ecological and climate changes; b) coherent assessment of the modalities of agriculture to harmonize the present-day water-stressed; c) coherent financing mechanism for the farmers, in particular the small-scale and marginal ones who are not only being affected disproportionately rather the changes warrant them to be displaced internally. The present discussion reviews two prime factors: viz; a) Effects of Climate-Change upon agro-economy of the country; and b) Attenuation of Agro-financing measures in the regulatory mechanism for regulating and developing the vibrant supply chain to the market

scholarly journals Recent research into healthcare professions regulation: a rapid evidence assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Browne ◽  
Alison Bullock ◽  
Chiara Poletti ◽  
Dorottya Cserző
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
List Type ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Screening Process ◽  
Published Evidence ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background and aims Over the last decade, regulators have taken significant steps towards tackling perceptions that regulatory systems are burdensome. There has been much international research activity in the regulation of health and care professionals. This article reports a review of studies on health professions regulation between January 2011 and March 2020. Its chief object was to provide robust and up-to-date evidence to assist regulators in policy development and implementation. The main objectives of this study were to: Identify and retrieve research in the field of health and care professions regulation in English since 2011; Evaluate the published research, exploring its utility to regulators and practitioners, and drawing out any key messages; Draw conclusions concerning the scope and limitations of the research literature and identify areas for further research. Methods We undertook a rapid evidence assessment (REA) of the international literature on health and care professions regulation, including reviewing ten UK regulators’ websites to identify issues of concern and strategic priorities. We retrieved 3833 references, using a four-stage screening process to select the 81 most relevant. Results Results are reported within six key themes: harm prevention and patient safety; fitness to practise; quality assurance of education and training; registration including maintenance of registers; guidelines and standards and relations with regulatory bodies. Conclusions Regulation of professionals in health and care is comparatively undeveloped as a field of academic study. Consequently, the published evidence is diffuse and small-scale. Most work presents relatively weak data of low relevance to regulators, mainly reporting or describing the current position. Few studies are able to show the impact of regulation or demonstrate a causal link between regulation and its effects. To inform their research and policy agendas health and social care regulators need to commission, interpret and apply the scholarly literature more effectively; academics need to engage with regulators to ensure that their research provides high-quality evidence with practical relevance to the regulators’ agendas. Further study is needed to explore how effective academic collaborations between regulators and researchers may be created and sustained.

scholarly journals The impact of climate change and natural disasters on food security in Indonesia: lessons learned on preserving forests sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol 886 (1) ◽  
pp. 012090
Author(s):  
L R E Malau ◽  
A T Darhyati ◽  
Suharno
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Natural Disasters ◽  
Food Prices ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Food Distribution ◽  
Forest Conversion ◽  
Impact Of Climate Change ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Abstract Food security is one of the main goals in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal’s (SDG’s). Food security, natural disasters, and climate change are thought to be interrelated. Climate change contributes to natural disasters such as floods, landslides, drought, land and forest fires, resulting in reduced food production, increased food prices, and disrupted access to food distribution. Ultimately, the impacts of climate change and natural disasters are one of the main causes of hunger and affect all dimensions of food security. This study aimed to analyze the impact of climate change, natural disasters, and other determinants on food security in Indonesia using the Tobit regression. The data used was from 33 provinces in 2010-2018. Climate change was proxied by rainfall, while natural disasters were proxied by the frequency of natural disasters and facility damage due to disasters. The results showed that food crop production, GRDP per capita, and the average years of schooling had a significant effect on increasing food security. Meanwhile, rainfall and deforestation had a significant effect on reducing food security. On the other hand, although not significant, the frequency and damage to facilities due to natural disasters harms food security. The results of this study confirmed the importance of preserving forest biodiversity as an effort to achieve food security as seen from the negative effects of rainfall and deforestation on food security. In this case, deforestation was one of the contributors to climate change which in turn had an impact on the intensity of natural disasters. To achieve food security for the achievement of the SDGs, policies to reduce deforestation or forest conversion need attention as one of the efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change and natural disasters.

scholarly journals The contribution of small-scale, privately owned tropical aquaculture to food security and dietary diversity in Bolivia

Food Security ◽  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Irwin ◽  
Mark S. Flaherty ◽  
Joachim Carolsfeld
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Fish Consumption ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Dietary Preferences ◽  
Women's Participation ◽  
Tropical Aquaculture ◽  
The Impact

Abstract New aquaculture systems are emerging in new contexts around the world in part due to aquaculture’s perceived development benefits. However, linkages between aquaculture and food security in these systems are unclear. This study investigated the impact of emerging small-scale, business-oriented fish culture in central Bolivia on the food security and dietary diversity of aquaculture producers (n = 40) and workers (n = 26) in the value chain and compared them to local non-aquaculture farmers (n = 40). Three pathways were investigated: fish consumption, household income, and women’s participation. Food insecurity was widespread and did not vary in a statistically significant way between groups, but a trend toward greater food security amongst aquaculture producers was observed. Dietary diversity was highly homogenous, with the notable exception of high fish consumption amongst producers. Aquaculture was related to higher income, and income has a modest positive effect on food security for aquaculturists and non-aquaculture farmers, but not aquaculture value chain workers. Income did not have an effect on dietary diversity. Women’s involvement in aquaculture was correlated positively to productivity, profitability, and size of operation, while male-only aquaculture was negatively correlated to these. The value chain generated employment, especially for women, but average wages were higher for men. The research provides important insight into aquaculture-food security linkages by showing that the introduction of small-scale business-oriented aquaculture systems can provide nutritious products for regional consumption and can have positive effects on food security but is not sufficient to change local dietary preferences more broadly.

scholarly journals Effect of Extension Contact on Rice Productivity in Some Selected Sites of Gazipur District

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abu Zafar Mahmudul Haq
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Extension ◽  
Survey Area ◽  
Farm Families ◽  
Rice Productivity ◽  
Basic Tenet ◽  
Agriculture Extension ◽  
The Impact

The impact of extension contact is examined with a view to evaluating the  agriculture extension in Bangladesh. It is found that the impact of extension contact is stronger for the comparatively near villages to upazila headquarters. This effect is weaker for those villages, which are comparatively away from upazila headquarters. Evident shows that the influence of extension contact is strongly positive and significant in the upazila where people are mostly involved in agricultural works. The results show that the impact of extension contact, which is one of the basic tenet of agricultural extension, as found in the yield of rice in the whole survey area, is strongly positive and significant. Some determinants of extension contact are also examined. Findings revealed that education of farmers, size of farm families, number of earners of farm families, irrigation and villages which are nearer to the upazila headquarters are key determinants for a household participation in extension contact. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v36i4.11762 Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 36(4): 723-732, December 2011

Food security mediates the decrease in women’s depressive symptoms in a participatory nutrition-sensitive agroecology intervention in rural Tanzania

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-29
Author(s):  
Hollyn M. Cetrone ◽  
Marianne V. Santoso ◽  
Rachel Bezner Kerr ◽  
Lucia Petito ◽  
Lauren Blacker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Women Farmers ◽  
Rural Tanzania ◽  
Cluster Randomized ◽  
Nutrition Sensitive ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Probable Depression

Abstract Objective: To investigate if food security mediated the impact of a nutrition-sensitive agroecology intervention on women’s depressive symptoms. Design: We used annual longitudinal data (4 time points) from a cluster-randomized effectiveness trial of a participatory nutrition-sensitive agroecology intervention, the Singida Nutrition and Agroecology Project (SNAP-Tz). Structural equation modelling estimation of total, natural direct, and natural indirect effects was used to investigate food security’s role in the intervention’s impact on women’s risk of probable depression (CES-D > 17) across three years. Setting: Rural Singida, Tanzania. Participants: 548 food insecure, married, smallholder women farmers with children < 1-year-old at baseline. Results: At baseline, one third of the women in each group had probable depression (Control: 32.0%, Intervention: 31.9%, p difference=0.97). The intervention lowered odds of probable depression by 43% (OR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.43-0.70). Differences in food insecurity explained approximately 10 percentage points of the effects of the intervention on odds of probable depression (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83-0.95). Conclusions: This is the first evidence of the strong, positive effect that lowering food insecurity has on reducing women’s depressive symptoms. Nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions can have broader impacts than previously demonstrated, i.e., improvements in mental health, and changes in food security play an important causal role in this pathway. As such, these data suggest participatory nutrition-sensitive agroecology interventions have the potential to be an accessible method of improving women’s wellbeing in farming communities.

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