Hostname: page-component-89b8bd64d-z2ts4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-13T14:11:59.771Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A review of the effectiveness of agriculture interventions in improving nutrition outcomes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Peter R Berti ,
Julia Krasevec  and
Sian FitzGerald
Peter R Berti*
Affiliation:
PATH Canada (Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health), 1 Nicholas Street, Suite 1105, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 7B7
Julia Krasevec
Affiliation:
PATH Canada (Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health), 1 Nicholas Street, Suite 1105, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 7B7
Sian FitzGerald
Affiliation:
PATH Canada (Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health), 1 Nicholas Street, Suite 1105, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1N 7B7
*
*Corresponding author: Email pberti@pathcanada.org
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the 'Save PDF' action button.
Objectives:

To review the impact of agriculture interventions on nutritional status in participating households, and to analyse the characteristics of interventions that improved nutrition outcomes.

Design:

We identified and reviewed reports describing 30 agriculture interventions that measured impact on nutritional status. The interventions reviewed included home gardening, livestock, mixed garden and livestock, cash cropping, and irrigation. We examined the reports for the scientific quality of the research design and treatment of the data. We also assessed whether the projects invested in five types of ‘capital’ (physical, natural, financial, human and social) as defined in the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, a conceptual map of major factors that affect people's livelihoods.

Results:

Most agriculture interventions increased food production, but did not necessarily improve nutrition or health within participating households. Nutrition was improved in 11 of 13 home gardening interventions, and in 11 of 17 other types of intervention. Of the 19 interventions that had a positive effect on nutrition, 14 of them invested in four or five types of capital in addition to the agriculture intervention. Of the nine interventions that had a negative or no effect on nutrition, only one invested in four or five types of capital.

Conclusions:

Those agriculture interventions that invested broadly in different types of capital were more likely to improve nutrition outcomes. Those projects which invested in human capital (especially nutrition education and consideration of gender issues), and other types of capital, had a greater likelihood of effecting positive nutritional change, but such investment is neither sufficient nor always necessary to effect change.

Keywords

NutritionAnthropometryAgricultureHome gardeningSustainable Livelihoods FrameworkHuman capitalNutrition educationSustainable developmentRural developmentFood production

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 7 , Issue 5 , August 2004 , pp. 599 - 609
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2004

References

1Lunven, P. The nutritional consequences of agricultural and rural development projects. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 1982; 4: 17–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2Smitasiri, S. A comment on how the nutritional impact of agricultural innovations can be enhanced. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 2001; 21: 503–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3Ramírez, R. The effectiveness of small-scale agriculture interventions on household food security: a review of the literature. Report prepared for the Canadian FoodGrains Bank, Interpares, Partners for Development, Oxfam Canada, Canadian International Development Agency and International Development Research Centre. Ottawa, Canada, 2002.Google Scholar
4Marsh, R. Building on traditional gardening to improve household food security. Food, Nutrition and Agriculture 1998; 22: 4–14.Google Scholar
5Von Braun, J. Agricultural commercialization: impacts on income and nutrition and implication for policy. Food Policy 1995; 20: 187–202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Berti, PR, Krasevec, J, FitzGerald, SL. Effectiveness of Small-scale, Rural Agriculture Interventions. Part I: Nutrition Outcomes – Literature Review and Critical Analysis. Ottawa: PATH (Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health) Canada, 2002.Google Scholar
7Pretty, J, Hine, R. Reducing Food Poverty with Sustainable Agriculture: A Summary of New Evidence. Colchester, UK: Centre for Environment and Society, University of Essex, 2001 [online]. Available at http://www2.essex.ac.uk/ces/ResearchProgrammes/CESOccasionalPapers/Report1-19.pdf. Accessed 19 November 2001.Google Scholar
8Helen Keller International (HKI)/Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre (Taiwan). Home Gardening in Bangladesh: Evaluation Report of the Home Gardening Pilot Project. New York: HKI, 1993.Google Scholar
9CARE Nepal. A study of the Evaluation of Home Gardening Program in Bajura and Mahottari Districts. Project Report. Nepal: CARE Nepal, 1995.Google Scholar
10English, RM, Badcock, JC, Giay, T, Ngu, T, Waters, AM, Bennett, SA. Effect of nutrition improvement project on morbidity from infectious diseases in preschool children in Vietnam: comparison with control commune. British Medical Journal 1997; 315: 1122–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11English, R, Badcock, J. A community nutrition project in Viet Nam: effects on child morbidity. Food, Nutrition and Agriculture 1998; 22: 15–21.Google Scholar
12Greiner, T, Mitra, SN. Evaluation of the impact of a food-based approach to solving vitamin A deficiency in Bangladesh. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 1995; 16: 193–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13Hagenimana, V, Oyunga, MA, Low, J, Njroge, SM, Gichuki, ST, Kabira, J. The Effects of Women Farmer's Adoption of Orange-fleshed Sweet Potatoes: Raising Vitamin A Intake in Kenya. Research Report Series No. 3. Washington, DC: International Center for Research on Women, 1999.Google Scholar
14Kidala, D, Greiner, T, Gebre-Medhin, M. Five-year follow-up of a food-based vitamin A intervention in Tanzania. Public Health Nutrition 2000; 3: 425–31.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
15Ngu, T, Quang, ND, Ha, PH, Giay, T, Badcock, JC, FitzGerald, S. A food based approach to nutrition improvement through household food security in Vietnam, with special reference to vitamin A deficiency. In: Proceedings of 16th IVACG Meeting, Chang Rai, Thailand, 1994. Washington, DC: International Life Sciences Institute, 1995; 77.Google Scholar
16Phillips, M, Sanghvi, T, Suarez, R, McKigney, J, Fiedler, J. The costs and effectiveness of three vitamin A interventions in Guatemala. Social Science & Medicine 1996; 42: 1661–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Solon, F, Briones, H, Fernandez, JR, Shafritz, LB. Moving to a long-term strategy: increasing vegetable gardening and consumption in the Philippines. In: Seidel, RE, ed. Strategies for Promoting Vitamin A Production, Consumption and Supplementation. Four Case Studies. Washington, DC: Academy for Educational Development, 1996.Google Scholar
18Smitasiri, S, Dhanamitta, S. Sustaining Behavior Change to Enhance Micro-nutrient Status: Community and Women-based Interventions in Thailand. OMNI Research Report Series No. 2. Washington, DC: International Center for Research on Women, 1999.Google Scholar
19Smitasiri, SK, Sangobwarchar, P, Kongpunya, C, Subsuwan, O, Banjong, C, Chitchumroonechokchai, W, et al. Sustaining behavioural change to enhance micronutrient status through community and women-based interventions in northeast Thailand: vitamin A. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 1999; 20: 243–51.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20Attig, GA, Smitasiri, S, Ittikom, K, Dhanamitta, S. Promoting home gardening to control vitamin A deficiency in northeastern Thailand. Food, Nutrition and Agriculture 1993; 7: 18–25.Google Scholar
21Brun, TA, Geissler, C, Kennedy, E. The impact of agricultural projects on food, nutrition and health. World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics 1991; 65: 99–123.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22Solon, F, Fernandez, TL, Latham, MC, Popkin, BM. An evaluation of strategies to control vitamin A deficiencies in the Philippines. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1979; 32: 1445–53.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23Popkin, BM, Solon, FS, Fernandez, T, Latham, MC. Benefit–cost analysis in the nutrition area: a project in the Philippines. Social Science & Medicine 1980; 14C: 207–16.Google ScholarPubMed
24Brun, T, Reynaud, J, Chevaussus-Agnes, S. Food and nutrition impact of one home garden project in Senegal. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 1989; 23: 91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25Alderman, H. Cooperative Dairy Development in Katnataka, India: An Assessment. Research Report 64. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Institute, 1987.Google Scholar
26Begum, JM. The impact of dairy development on protein and calorie intake of pre-school children. Indian Journal of Medical Sciences 1994; 48: 61–4.Google ScholarPubMed
27Ahmed, MM, Jabbar, M, Ehui, S. Household-level economic and nutritional impacts of market-oriented dairy production in the Ethiopian Highlands. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 2000; 21: 460–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28Ayalew, W, Gebriel, ZW, Kassa, H. Improving Vitamin A Intake through a Woman-focused Dairy Goat Development Project in Ethiopia. OMNI Research Report Series No. 4. Washington, DC: International Center for Research on Women, 1999.Google Scholar
29Galal, OM, Harrison, GG, Abdou, AI, Zein el Abedin, A. The impact of a small-scale agricultural intervention on socio-economic and health status. Food and Nutrition 1987; 13: 35–43.Google ScholarPubMed
30Bouis, HE, Haddad, LJ. Effects of Agricultural Commercialization on Land Tenure, Household Resource Allocation, and Nutrition in the Philippines. Research Report 79. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Institute, 1990.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31Hernandez, M, Hidalgo, CP. Effect of economic growth in nutrition in a typical community. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 1974; 3: 283–91.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32Kennedy, E. The Effects of Sugarcane Production on Food Security, Health, and Nutrition in Kenya: A Longitudinal Analysis. Research Report 78. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Institute, 1989.Google Scholar
33Kennedy, ET, Oniang'o, R. Household and preschooler vitamin A consumption in southwestern Kenya. Journal of Nutrition 1993; 123: 841–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
34Niemeijer, R, Geuns, M, Kliest, T, Ogonda, V, Hoorweg, J. Nutrition in agriculture development: the case of irrigated rice cultivation. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 1988; 22: 65–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
35Kurth, A. Agricultural development and nutritional status in Malawi. Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 1989; 35: 250–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
36DeWalt, KM, DeWalt, BR, Escudero, JC, Barkin, D. Shifts from maize to sorghum production: nutrition effects in four Mexican communities. Food Policy 1990; 15: 395–406.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
37Sornmani, S, Schelp, FP, Sesth, V, Pongpaew, P, Sritabutra, P, Supawan, V, et al. An investigation of the health and nutritional status of the population in the Nam Pong Water Resource Development Project, Northeast Thailand. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 1981; 75: 335–46.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
38Hoorweg, J, Foeken, D, Klaver, W, Okello, W, Veerman, W. Nutrition in agricultural development: land settlement in Coast Province, Kenya. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 1996; 35: 161–78.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
39Morris, SS, Medina Banegas, JM. Rural development, household food safety, and nutrition in western Honduras. Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutricion 1999; 49: 244–52.Google ScholarPubMed
40Rajasekaran, B. An Indigenous Duck–Fish Production System in South India. Impact on Food and Nutritional Security. Saginaw, MI: Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) [online]. Available at http://www.ciesin.org/docs/004-200/004-200.html. Accessed 6 December 2001.Google Scholar
41Ruel, MT, Levin, CE. Assessing the Potential for Food Based Strategies to Reduce Vitamin A and Iron Deficiencies: Reviewing the Evidence. Washington, DC: International Food Policy Institute, 2000.Google Scholar
42Rush, D. Nutrition and maternal mortality in the developing world. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2000; 72: 212S–40S.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
43Willett, WC. Letter to the Editor. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1999; 70: 108A–9A.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
44Pinstrup-Andersen, P. Agricultural research and nutrition. Food Policy 1990; 15: 475–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar