Overview of Agriculture-Nutrition Research in low and middle income countries

John McDermottDirector

CGIAR Research Program onAgriculture for nutrition and health (A4NH)

DfID Mapping and gap analysis

• Sampled 135 institutions (research, universities, NGOs, donors)

• 151 projects met inclusion criteria– 100 detailed information; 51 general

• 133 were part of larger programs (A4NH, USAID N-CRSP, LCIRAH); some were research components in development programs

• 5 donors dominate (BMGF, CIDA, USAID, IDRC, DFID)

DfID ag-nutrition research gaps

• Assessment of overall agri-food chains• Indirect impacts of agriculture on nutrition (income,

economic growth)• Effects of agriculture policy on nutrition• Governance, policy processes and political economy of

policies and programs• Research methods• Consumer research• Rural-urban linkages• Cost-effectiveness of programs

DfID interesting observations

• Research quality – study design, analysis, metrics

• Target groups – 1000 days, urban consumers, rural non-farmers

• Missing research partners – Private sector– Leadership from developing country institutions

• More research in the pipeline (past gap)

CGIAR Agriculture for Nutrition and Health Initial Research

NUTRITIONAL VALUE CHAINS• Revise current value chain frameworks and assessments to better include

nutritional quality (and food safety)• co-develop specific opportunities for enhancing nutritional quality for women,

infants and young children in value chains for nutrient rich foods

BIO-FORTIFICATION• continue bio-fortified crop development and evaluation• enhance delivery spillovers - new countries and commercial value chains

AGRICULTURE-ASSOCIATED DISEASES• management of food safety and zoonotic risks and their mitigation and trade-

offs in intensifying production systems and evolving value chains• aflatoxin risks and mitigation (in collaboration, MAIZE, LEGUMES, USDA)

INTEGRATED PROGRAMS AND POLICIES• continue to strengthen program evaluation, working with partners, including

new cross-sectoral metrics and approaches• cross-sectoral priorities and policies with key partners in SSA and South Asia

Transform Nutrition

1:Scaling up direct

interventions

3 Cultivating and

sustaining enabling

environments

2:Nutrition-sensitivity of

indirect interventions

Capacity strengthening

Actionable evidence on scaling direct interventions,

and ability to use this evidence

Knowledge/evidence on “enabling environments” for nutrition (capacity accountability, and responsiveness)

Catalyze actor networks and champions

Knowledge/evidence on how to maximize nutrition sensitivity of

indirect interventions, and ability to use this evidence

Transformed thinking and action among technical, operational and policy communities in 4 countries

Nutrition moved up development agenda, better resourced and better supported; scaled up evidence-based direct and indirect actions for nutrition