Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia
Nutrition
How to design agriculture and food-related policies, programmes and interventions to improve nutrition.
Nutrition
In much of South Asia, women make up a majority of the agricultural workforce, but what effect does working in agriculture have on the nutrition of these women and their children?
Nutrition
Harnessing the farm-to-market value chain to deliver nutritious foods to those who need it most
The Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA) research programme consortium aims to enhance the impact of agriculture on maternal and child nutrition in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.
Nearly half the children in South Asian are chronically undernourished (stunted) and despite agriculture being the main livelihood for nearly half the population in the region, its potential for reducing undernutrition has not yet been realised.
The LANSA international research partnership focused on policies, interventions and strategies that can enhance agriculture to improve the nutritional status of children in South Asia.
This collection of LANSA publications describes our innovative research to discover how agriculture and food-related policies, programmes and interventions can be better designed to improve nutrition.
Image credit: Harvested Bell Peppers | IFPRI-IMAGES | Flickr | CC BY NC ND 2.0
In this collection
Showing 41-50 of 100 results
Improving Household Diet Diversity Through Promotion of Nutrition Gardens in India
, 2018This paper describes the introduction of nutrition garden to address household diet diversity in Wardha, Maharashtra and Koraput, Odisha. The study started with a detailed baseline survey and its assessment in 2013-14 along with designing and promotion of nutrition gardens of fruits and vegetables. A seasonal calendar of locally available vegetables was prepared and seed kits/saplings were distributed accordingly. Data on area, types of vegetables grown, number of households participated, production, and utilization was collected regularly through nutrition garden utilization card....Can business-driven fortified foods reach nutritionally vulnerable households? A case study of tiger biscuits
Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia, 2018Fortification of food has been an effective way to address micronutrient deficiency. This paper presents a case study of iron-fortified Tiger brand biscuits of Britannia Industries Limited (BIL). The study uses a conceptual framework developed under LANSA research to analyse the value chain of iron-fortified Tiger biscuits and examines the potential that the value chain has to reach economically-poor households....A value-chain perspective on wheat flour fortification in Pakistan
Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia, 2018Food fortification is a popular strategy for addressing ‘hidden hunger’, and staple foods are seen as promising if unproven vehicles for the delivery of essential micronutrients to the poor in developing countries. This paper examines wheat flour fortification with iron in Pakistan as a case of technocratic optimism in the face of institutional constraints....Factors which may limit the value of dietary diversity and its association with nutritional outcomes in preschool children in high burden districts of India
Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia, 2018Dietary diversity plays a critical role in infants as they need energy and nutrient dense foods for both physical and mental development. This study examines whether three dietary diversity indices validate against Nutrient Adequacy Ratio (NAR) and Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR) and studies the relationship of dietary diversity with nutritional status of preschool children, in two districts of India: Wardha district in Maharashtra state and Koraput district in Odisha state....The role of irrigation in enabling dietary diversity in Afghanistan
Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia, 2018This paper adds to the sparse literature on irrigation-diet linkages by contributing fresh evidence from Afghanistan and addresses the lacuna regarding the pathways through which such linkages may operate. Using data from the latest round of the nationally representative Afghanistan Living Condition Survey (2013-14), this study explores the role of irrigation in dietary diversity in Afghanistan. Results show that possession of irrigated land and garden plots are positively associated with household dietary diversity. Two pathways underlie this relationship....Effectiveness of the value chain of an agri-food product in reaching low income consumers: a business case study of Amulspray
Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia, 2018A large section of the population in South Asia is undernourished. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood in the region. Following the framework detailed in Henson and Humphrey (2015), this paper attempts to assess the effectiveness of a dairy milk product (Amulspray), manufactured by a cooperative business, in enhancing consumption of nutritious food by the poor.The case study examines the value chain of Amulspray with focus on the commercial viability of the product and its market outreach, particularly to children from low income households....Farming systems for improved nutrition in Bangladesh
Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia, 2018International literature places great importance on nutrition sensitive agricultural interventions to improve health and nutrition; particularly in communities where potential for agricultural growth is promising....Women in agriculture and nutrition in India
Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia, 2016Policy debates around agriculture and nutrition and the crucial role of women needs to be informed by evidence that research programmes like LANSA generate. The available evidence recommends the recognition of women’s roles in agriculture and nutrition.This Policy Brief looks at the following focus polices and programmes: Draft National Policy for Women 2016; National Policy for Empowerment of Women 2001; Supplementary Nutrition Programme under ICDS; National Nutrition Policy 1993; National Food Security Act 2013; National Policy for Farmers 2007....National Plan of Action for Children (NPAC) 2016
Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia, 2016The National Policy for Children 2013 adopted by the Government of India in April 2013, adheres to the Constitutional mandate and guiding principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It identifies rights of children under four key priority areas, viz. Survival, Health and Nutrition, Education and Development, Protection, and Participation.This Policy Brief looks at the Draft National Plan of Action for Children (NPAC) Key Priority Area 1: Survival, Health and Nutrition, making policy recommendations....Women’s agricultural work and nutrition in South Asia: policy priorities
Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia, 2017LANSA research has highlighted the linkage between women’s agricultural work and nutrition in South Asia. Official statistics acknowledge that agriculture accounts for a majority of women workers in these countries. Many women who work in agriculture, however, are not counted, and many others’ work is under-counted and often uncompensated. The division of agricultural activities is highly gendered and many of the tasks undertaken by women are not regarded as work by men and women, families and communities....