WILLAGRI
Diversity in local and regional food production is positively associated with household dietary diversity in rural Africa. On average, farms produce 5.5 different foods. The Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) is used to study the diversity of products consumed by households. The higher the HDDS, the more diversified the consumption. Thus, Malawi has the highest score on the sub-Saharan continent and Ethiopia the lowest.
However, the impact of this correlation varies across contexts and market access. A recent study by the Nature Food website highlights that market purchases play a more crucial role than in-house production in improving household dietary diversity. Diversity of production at the village or regional level positively influences dietary diversity, highlighting the importance of local markets. Rural households get an average of 33 per cent of their food from their own production, with the rest coming mainly from market purchases. Among households living far from urban centres, which are required to be self-sufficient, dietary diversity is lower. Conversely, more market-oriented households have higher dietary diversity scores than those oriented towards self-sufficiency.
Diversification strategies should focus on local and regional food systems rather than on individual farms. The education of the head of household, the use of mobile phones and the availability of non-agricultural jobs promote the use of a more diversified diet. Female-headed households have a more diverse diet than male-headed households. The study highlights that policies should prioritize improving market access and infrastructure to enhance dietary diversity.
Source : Nature Food , https://irdev.org/41az2KJ