Evaluating the pathways from small-scale irrigation to dietary diversity: evidence from Ethiopia and Tanzania

Interventions that aim to increase water availability for agriculture hold great potential for improving nutrition through increasing food production, generating income, enhancing water access and sanitation and hygiene conditions, and through strengthening women’s empowerment. Yet there is scarce e...

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Main Authors: Passarelli, Simone, Mekonnen, Dawit Kelemework, Bryan, Elizabeth, Ringler, Claudia
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Springer 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/100146
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author Passarelli, Simone
Mekonnen, Dawit Kelemework
Bryan, Elizabeth
Ringler, Claudia
author_browse Bryan, Elizabeth
Mekonnen, Dawit Kelemework
Passarelli, Simone
Ringler, Claudia
author_facet Passarelli, Simone
Mekonnen, Dawit Kelemework
Bryan, Elizabeth
Ringler, Claudia
author_sort Passarelli, Simone
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Interventions that aim to increase water availability for agriculture hold great potential for improving nutrition through increasing food production, generating income, enhancing water access and sanitation and hygiene conditions, and through strengthening women’s empowerment. Yet there is scarce evidence on the linkages between small-scale irrigation and the pathways through which nutrition outcomes can be achieved. Using data from a cross-sectional household survey collected in Ethiopia and Tanzania, we explored the potential for small-scale irrigation to contribute to improved diets, and identify the pathways through which irrigation affects dietary diversity as measured by the Household Dietary Diversity Score. Unadjusted comparisons show that irrigating households in both countries produced more vegetables, fruits and cash crops, are less food insecure, have a higher value of production, and have higher production diversity and dietary diversity compared to non-irrigating households. Econometric results of a simultaneous equation (3SLS) model showed that irrigation leads to better household dietary diversity mainly through the pathway of increasing household incomes. However, these results are statistically significant only in the case of Ethiopia, and not in Tanzania. While irrigation increased production diversity in Ethiopia, the benefits of increased dietary diversity cannot be attributed to these changes in production after controlling for the effect of income. Other factors, such as gender of the household head and having off-farm income, also influence dietary diversity in Ethiopia. These findings suggest that the potential for irrigation to influence diets is highly context-specific. Understanding the particular pathways and entry points for nutrition-sensitive agriculture approaches could help to improve their benefits for nutrition.
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spelling CGSpace1001462025-11-12T04:47:33Z Evaluating the pathways from small-scale irrigation to dietary diversity: evidence from Ethiopia and Tanzania Passarelli, Simone Mekonnen, Dawit Kelemework Bryan, Elizabeth Ringler, Claudia nutrients income agricultural production income growth nutrition irrigation food security diet dietary diversity Interventions that aim to increase water availability for agriculture hold great potential for improving nutrition through increasing food production, generating income, enhancing water access and sanitation and hygiene conditions, and through strengthening women’s empowerment. Yet there is scarce evidence on the linkages between small-scale irrigation and the pathways through which nutrition outcomes can be achieved. Using data from a cross-sectional household survey collected in Ethiopia and Tanzania, we explored the potential for small-scale irrigation to contribute to improved diets, and identify the pathways through which irrigation affects dietary diversity as measured by the Household Dietary Diversity Score. Unadjusted comparisons show that irrigating households in both countries produced more vegetables, fruits and cash crops, are less food insecure, have a higher value of production, and have higher production diversity and dietary diversity compared to non-irrigating households. Econometric results of a simultaneous equation (3SLS) model showed that irrigation leads to better household dietary diversity mainly through the pathway of increasing household incomes. However, these results are statistically significant only in the case of Ethiopia, and not in Tanzania. While irrigation increased production diversity in Ethiopia, the benefits of increased dietary diversity cannot be attributed to these changes in production after controlling for the effect of income. Other factors, such as gender of the household head and having off-farm income, also influence dietary diversity in Ethiopia. These findings suggest that the potential for irrigation to influence diets is highly context-specific. Understanding the particular pathways and entry points for nutrition-sensitive agriculture approaches could help to improve their benefits for nutrition. 2018-08 2019-03-06T07:21:47Z 2019-03-06T07:21:47Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/100146 en https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.133515 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.133713 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134152 https://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134425 Open Access application/pdf Springer Passarelli, Simone; Mekonnen, Dawit; Bryan, Elizabeth; Ringler, Claudia. 2018. Evaluating the pathways from small-scale irrigation to dietary diversity: evidence from Ethiopia and Tanzania. Food Security. 10(4):981–997
spellingShingle nutrients
income
agricultural production
income growth
nutrition
irrigation
food security
diet
dietary diversity
Passarelli, Simone
Mekonnen, Dawit Kelemework
Bryan, Elizabeth
Ringler, Claudia
Evaluating the pathways from small-scale irrigation to dietary diversity: evidence from Ethiopia and Tanzania
title Evaluating the pathways from small-scale irrigation to dietary diversity: evidence from Ethiopia and Tanzania
title_full Evaluating the pathways from small-scale irrigation to dietary diversity: evidence from Ethiopia and Tanzania
title_fullStr Evaluating the pathways from small-scale irrigation to dietary diversity: evidence from Ethiopia and Tanzania
title_full_unstemmed Evaluating the pathways from small-scale irrigation to dietary diversity: evidence from Ethiopia and Tanzania
title_short Evaluating the pathways from small-scale irrigation to dietary diversity: evidence from Ethiopia and Tanzania
title_sort evaluating the pathways from small scale irrigation to dietary diversity evidence from ethiopia and tanzania
topic nutrients
income
agricultural production
income growth
nutrition
irrigation
food security
diet
dietary diversity
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/100146
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