Multi-sectoral
Approaches to Nutrition:
The Case for Investment by
Agriculture
Growth in the agricultural sector has contributed strongly to
economic growth in the Asia and Pacific region over the past
several decades—yet improvements in nutrition have not kept pace.
Increasing staple crop yields and investing in agricultural production
has not resolved the high rates of underweight and stunted children,
leaving them vulnerable to the chronic and often irreversible effects
of poor nutrition. Globally, 165 million children under the age of 5
suffer from chronic malnutrition, or stunting, and more than half (85
million) of these children live in Asia.1 Increasing access to nutritious
diets based on knowledge of appropriate nutrition and care, as well
as adequate water and sanitation, should be essential elements of
food security practice.
By investing in nutrition-sensitive policies and programmes, the
agricultural sector can maximise its potential to impact the health
and productivity of families in the Asia and Pacific region.
The AgricultureUndernutrition Cycle
Inadequate Quantity
and Quality of the Diet
Lower
Productivity
UNDERNUTRITION
Optimal nutrition strengthens agricultural production and
agro-based communities
From birth, optimal nutrition is essential. Poor nutrition during pregnancy and
the first 24 months of life can cause irreversible damage to individuals, including
diminished physical growth, fewer years spent in school, and diminished wages
and productivity. Compounded across an entire nation, undernutrition can cost up
to 8 percent of a nation’s GDP.2 Research shows that a healthy and well-nourished
agricultural population is more productive, and has higher wage earning potential.3
According to studies, both height and weight affect productivity:
uFor every 1 percent increase in height, adults can experience a 4 percent
Reduced Food Security
Limited Agricultural
and Diversity
Production and Earning
increase in agricultural wages.4
uUnderweight adults can have lower productivity compared to adults of
average weight.5
uEliminating anaemia has been shown to increase adult productivity by 5
to 17 percent, with the higher increases found in agricultural work that
requires heavy manual labour.6
Nutrition-sensitive agriculture programmes maximise outcomes for
both health and agriculture sectors
If not planned effectively, agricultural growth can still leave many children
underweight and stunted. Evidence shows that by putting more focus on
nutrition outcomes, i.e., by including nutrition objectives at the outset, agricultural
interventions can improve the capacity, productivity, and future prospects of
agricultural workers—and also contribute to reducing undernutrition.7
Rapid agricultural
development remains an
important pathway out of
Agriculture can improve the quantity and quality of diets in households for
subsistence farmers; reduce income poverty through produce sales and
agricultural labour; empower women as income-earners, decision-makers,
and primary childcare providers; decrease food price volatility; and increase
government revenues that can be used to finance health care, education, and
nutrition interventions.7
estimates that economic
As agricultural production grows and diversifies, households experience
increased food security and better nutrition—which in turn leads to increases in
human capital and productivity:
growth from agriculture
uAgricultural growth has shown a large and significant effect in reducing
poverty; the World Bank
is at least twice as
effective in reducing
poverty, and in turn,
reducing hunger and
undernutrition, as growth
in any other sector.9
underweight, and also leads to reductions in stunting in food-insecure
settings.8
uDiversified agricultural production has the potential to improve access
to more diverse and nutritious foods, a key component of meeting the
“Minimum Acceptable Diet” for children.
Agricultural programmes that focus on production of energy-rich staple foods can
also be more effectively designed to reduce undernutrition by promoting crops
that reduce vulnerability to droughts and extreme climate, increase yields, or
improve nutritional value. Likewise, programmes that promote sustained access
to food through better storage conditions and improved transformation and
preservation have the potential to improve household nutrition.
By ensuring stronger nutrition and health outcomes, the impact and costeffectiveness of agricultural interventions will be further validated. These results
will ultimately inform policies that contribute to agricultural growth and national
development.
We know what works: Integrating nutrition into agriculture—and
agricultural sub-sectors—maximises impact
A recent review of 23 evaluations of agricultural programmes that aimed to
improve child nutrition status found promising results: increased production of
promoted food items; uptake of the promoted diet changes; increased vitamin
A intake; nutritional impact and consumer acceptance of foods bred for highnutrient content; and improved nutritional impact on short-term indicators of
hunger, like wasting and underweight.10 Agricultural sub-sectors also present
effective links to nutrition:
uHome gardening and homestead food production improve dietary
intake — Home gardening and homestead food production have
consistently been found to improve dietary intake and micronutrient status,
and decrease morbidity.11,12 When taken to scale, these interventions
improve the availability and consumption of animal products, vegetables,
and fruits, and reduce rates of anaemia among women and children.13,14
uAquaculture provides an available and high-quality nutrition source
— Fish is the main source of animal protein in Asia.15 It is an inexpensive
source of high-quality protein, fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, and
has the potential to improve the diets of even the poorest households.15,16
Fish is particularly nutritious and beneficial during pregnancy and early
childhood, ensuring optimal growth and mental development.17
uInvesting in rural livelihoods and smallholder farmers increases
food and financial yields — In Asia, most smallholder farmers do not
provide themselves with incomes and food that cover their families’ needs,
or increase their agricultural production to keep up with market demand.
Investing in smallholder agriculture can contribute to higher crop yields,
increased efficiency in agricultural output and production, and improved
economic opportunities for some of Asia’s poorest communities.18,19,20
Protecting staple food and other crop prices can also prevent drops in small
farmer incomes, which can hinder access to foods.
uPromoting and accelerating specific agricultural sub-sectors that
produce the foods required (such as dairy, livestock, fish, vegetables, and
fruits) is an effective poverty reduction strategy because it boosts rural
farm livelihoods through diversification; at the same time, it can increase
access to nutritious foods and address the dietary deficiencies of specific
population groups.21
Nutrition-sensitive agriculture is most successful when multiple
sectors are engaged
Promoting gender equality — Programmes
that integrate gender have been shown to
generate improved agricultural productivity
and better household nutritional status. When
women have more control over household
resources, families are healthier, better
educated, and have more access to more
nutritious foods.22,23
Investing in social protection programmes
— Social protection programmes can include
investments in assets, agriculture input
subsidies, and social pension programmes. They
provide farmers, households, and communities
with the opportunity to spend more and invest
more, thereby stimulating local economies,
boosting economic growth, and increasing
food and nutrition security. This is particularly
important during seasonal downturns.
u
In Nepal, women
landowners were
significantly less
likely to have
underweight
children.24
Strategies to Link
Agriculture, Conservation
of Natural Resources, and
Nutrition
uInvest in rural development
and smallholder farmers,
many of whom are women
uSecure access to land for
poor and marginalised groups
uIncrease investment in fruit,
vegetable, pulse, and oil seed
production
uPromote ecological practices,
u
A nutrition-focused
social transfers
project in Bangladesh
decreased
vulnerability to food
insecurity and hunger,
and increased weightgain of women during
the lean season.
Policy-makers can take action now to maximise impact by
developing nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions
u Support efforts to diversify production of small farmers, such as
vegetables, fruits, fish, and small animals, as well as efforts to reduce postharvest losses through better storage and processing, which can potentially
increase home consumption and income, and in turn, food security.
u Increase equitable access to resources for women and marginalised groups.
Advocate for land rights, water, and sustainable resource management.
like improved soil fertility and
water conservation
uPromote environmentally
sustainable poultry, livestock,
and fishery production
uTrain agricultural extension
agents to promote
awareness of the nutritional
benefits of consuming more
fruits, vegetables, pulses,
and animal foods
Promote programmes that facilitate access to required resources, such as
access to credit, productive assets, extension services, and markets.25
u Invest in agricultural research on food crops that focuses on smallholder
farmers, including women, and that promotes better nutrition, takes into
account climate change, improves resilience and productivity of local foods,
and furthers ecological and sustainable farming practices.
uInclude nutrition objectives and indicators, and implement impact
assessments to develop an evidence-base for the positive impact of
producing foods high in protein, essential fats, and micronutrients.
WE MUST ACT NOW
Malnutrition has high costs on health, social, and economic outcomes for
individuals and nations. Diverse and strategic agricultural production can improve
nutrition—which will result in a more productive work force for the agricultural
sector and beyond. Policy-makers and programme implementers must act today
to create nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions that will increase impact and
improve health for generations to come.
Programmes that integrate
gender have been shown
to generate improved
agricultural productivity
and better household
nutritional status.22,23
This is one brief in a five-part series on the importance of multi-sectoral approaches
to nutrition. To read the other briefs, visit www.unicef.org/eu/devaid_nutrition.html.
Sources
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global problems cost the world? A scorecard from 1900 to 2050, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
3FAO, (2012). Decent rural employment for food security: a case for action, Rome, Italy.
4Haddad, L. J., & Bouis, H. E., (1991). The impact of nutritional status on agricultural productivity: wage evidence from the Philippines, Oxford Bulletin of
Economics and Statistics, 53(1), 45-68.
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6Horton, S., & Ross, J., (2003). The economics of iron deficiency, 28(1), 51-75.
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for Improving Nutrition and Health,” IFPRI, New Delhi, India.
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Food for Development, London, U.K.
10Masset, E., et al., (2011). ‘A Systematic Review of Agricultural Interventions that Aim to Improve Nutritional Status of Children,’ EPPI-Centre, Social Science
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11Girard, A., et al., (2012). The Effects of Household Food Production Strategies on the Health and Nutrition Outcomes of Women and Young Children: A
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12Kumar, N., & Quisumbing, A., (2010). Access, Adoption, and Diffusion: Understanding the Long-term Impacts of Improved Vegetable and Fish Technologies in
Bangladesh, IFPRI, Discussion Paper 009995, Washington, D.C.
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Food-based Approaches, FAO and CAB International.
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Studies: Bringing Bioversity to the Plate. In: Sustainable Diets and Biodiversity—Directions and Solutions for Policy, Research and Action, FAO and Bioversity
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Kenya, IFPRI.
20Gill, G., et al., (2003). Food Security and the Millennium Development Goal on Hunger in Asia, Working Paper 231, Overseas Development Institute, London, U.K.
21Fan, S., & Brzeska, J., (2012). The Nexus between Agriculture and Nutrition: Do Growth Patterns and Conditional Factors Matter?, IFPRI, Washington, D.C.
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25 van den Bold, M., (2013). Women’s Empowerment and Nutrition, An Evidence Review, IFPRI, Washington, D.C.
This document has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union, as part of the Maternal and Young Child Nutrition Security Initiative in Asia (MYCNSIA). The views expressed
herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.
For more information on this and other partnerships of UNICEF and the EU, please go to www.unicef.org/eu