Prioritizing Nutrition in Agriculture and Rural Development : Guiding Principles for Operational Investments

Herforth, Anna ; Jones, Andrew ; Pinstrup-Andersen, Per

World Bank, Washington, DC

关键词: ABORTION;    ACCESS TO FOOD;    ACCESS TO HEALTH SERVICES;    ACCESS TO SAVINGS;    ACUTE MALNUTRITION;   

RP-ID  :  74152

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: World Bank Open Knowledge Repository

【 摘 要 】

Agricultural and rural developmentprovides a critically important opportunity for reducingmalnutrition. The purpose of this paper is to provide a setof guiding principles for incorporating nutrition goals intothe design and implementation of agricultural and ruraldevelopment projects, and to provide examples of currentbest evidence options for operational investments. Severalprinciples are likely to be important in all or most casesfor nutrition-sensitive agriculture, which can be adapted toindividual contexts. These include the following: 1)incorporate nutritional concerns into the design andimplementation of agricultural policies, projects, andinvestments; 2) target nutritionally vulnerable groups; 3)invest in women; 4) increase year-round access to diverse,nutrient-dense foods; 5) protect health through watermanagement; 6) design poverty-reduction strategiesexplicitly to benefit nutrition; 7) create enablingenvironments for good nutrition through knowledge andincentives; and 8) seek opportunities to work acrosssectors. To help assess which actions are most relevant fora specific situation, a set of key questions are includedafter each broad principle. The paper also highlights areaswhere agricultural investments may cause harm, and providesoptions for improving policy coherence. The principlesunderscore investments in people and systems that have thepotential to transform underlying conditions and positivelyinfluence the multiple, proximal determinants of propernutrition. Further research and evaluation prioritiesinclude tracking impact on multiple outcomes at once (suchas diet, nutritional status, productivity, and income);designing studies that can attribute impact to specificapproaches; and collecting information on costs andcost-effectiveness. Although there is a need to strengthenknowledge around design and implementation strategies, thereis good evidence that well-planned investments are likely toreach at least targeted income and dietary outcomes.Existing knowledge around the recommended principles issufficient to move ahead in designing nutrition-sensitiveagricultural interventions.