Agriculture and Nutrition Resource Review

This collection of papers moves agriculture and health research towards markets and food systems, and beyond household production. The selection has three groups of papers: the first laying out the context of the socio-political environment and desired outcomes of the food system, the second dealing with access to nutritious and safe foods, and the third synthesizing the current research and implications for future research and policy. 

This special issue systematically and empirically tests whether a relationship exists between agricultural production and nutrition. The studies included in the special edition contain evidence on the linkages between the two at a micro level and support the hypothesis that household agricultural production has direct and important linkages with dietary patterns and nutrition.

Peace Corps volunteers are uniquely placed to promote changes in agricultural and nutrition practices due to their placement in “last-mile” communities, as well as the relationships within the communities that they serve. This blog highlights volunteers’ role in implementing agriculture and nutrition programs, and the potential for future programming coordination.

This brief links business environments with nutrition and explores value chain approaches through analyzing their benefits to the food system. The authors describe an approach to increase availability and adoption of safe and nutritious food across environments through these methods, and provide an overview of current projects related to value chains for nutrition.

This report reviews 102 health and multi-sectoral programs that integrate family planning with nutrition and food security interventions. Lessons learned and promising program practices for integration are included.

This article explores the growth in biofortification to address hidden hunger and announces the launch the special online series Future Fortified.

This news radio clip and associated article covers the FAO Africa Regional Nutrition Conference in Accra, which includes a speech by Dr. Anna Lartey, Director of the Nutrition Division of FAO. Dr. Lartey asserted that the negative image of Africa and malnutrition can be erased if African countries adopt a multi-sectoral nutrition approach. 

This blog describes how the addition of nutrition targets to the results framework of the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) clarified its role in nutrition programming.  With a mandate to allocate increased resources, track nutrition indicators, and implement nutrition programs, this policy milestone has created an opportunity to further a focus on achieving nutrition goals.

This map of countries depicts the status of biofortified crops, which have been conventionally bred for high vitamin A, iron, and zinc content to address nutritional needs.

The harmful health and economic effects of aflatoxin-contaminated crops are illustrated in this infographic. The graphic also describes prevention measures targeting each of aflatoxin’s complex causes.

This blog emphasizes the need to mainstream nutrition into agricultural policy in Africa. Nutrition initiatives are urged to build contextual evidence and work with African researchers and institutions to generate local capacity.

As urbanization and household incomes in Africa increase, most peoples’ relationship with the food landscape also shifts. Changing economies cause increased non-agricultural employment, and decreased agricultural sector employment. This webinar explores trends in agricultural employment, along with its effects on nutrition practices.