Production diversity and dietary diversity in smallholder farm households

TLDR

Hunger and malnutrition remain widespread in developing countries, especially among small-scale subsistence farmers, and diversifying farm production is seen as a promising way to improve dietary quality. The study tests this hypothesis using data from smallholder farm households in Indonesia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Malawi. Higher farm production diversity improves dietary diversity in some contexts, but market access is a more consistently effective strategy for enhancing nutrition.

Abstract

Significance Given that hunger and malnutrition are still widespread problems in many developing countries, the question of how to make agriculture and food systems more nutrition-sensitive is of high relevance for research and policy. Many of the undernourished people in Africa and Asia are small-scale subsistence farmers. Diversifying production on these farms is often perceived as a promising strategy to improve dietary quality and diversity. This hypothesis is tested with data from smallholder farm households in Indonesia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Malawi. Higher farm production diversity significantly contributes to dietary diversity in some situations, but not in all. Improving small farmers’ access to markets seems to be a more effective strategy to improve nutrition than promoting production diversity on subsistence farms.