Review of effectiveness of agriculture interventions on health and nutrition

Part 1: Nutrition Outcomes - Literature Review and Critical Analysis

This work arose from a debate between CIDA and the NGO Food Security Program Effectiveness Group over the value in CIDA funding small-scale agriculture nutrition interventions.

HealthBridge (at the time PATH Canada) was contracted to review the literature surrounding the impact of small scale agriculture interventions on health and nutrition of participating households to contribute to this debate. A sister review was conducted by Ricardo Ramirez.

Results

In the reviewed literature, agricultural interventions were much more likely to improve the health and nutrition of participating households if the intervention was broad-based and included investments in multiple types of "capital" (financial, natural, social, physical, and most importantly, human capital). In particular, nutrition education provided great value added to agriculture interventions.

Recommendations

For agriculture interventions to benefit the health of participating households, they should be broad based and include components other than just the agriculture intervention itself.