Sustainable intensification and household dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe

With only four years before the end date for the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition, the need to identify nutrition-sensitive and sustainable agricultural interventions that can address hunger and malnutrition cannot be more urgent. This paper assesses associations between sustainable inte...

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Main Authors: Ngoma, Hambulo, Simutowe, Esau, Manyanga, Mark, Thierfelder, Christian L.
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: SAGE Publications 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/130040
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author Ngoma, Hambulo
Simutowe, Esau
Manyanga, Mark
Thierfelder, Christian L.
author_browse Manyanga, Mark
Ngoma, Hambulo
Simutowe, Esau
Thierfelder, Christian L.
author_facet Ngoma, Hambulo
Simutowe, Esau
Manyanga, Mark
Thierfelder, Christian L.
author_sort Ngoma, Hambulo
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description With only four years before the end date for the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition, the need to identify nutrition-sensitive and sustainable agricultural interventions that can address hunger and malnutrition cannot be more urgent. This paper assesses associations between sustainable intensification practices and dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Using survey data from 1124 households, we apply an instrumental variable approach that allows to control for the fact that farmers self-select themselves into adopting sustainable intensification practices, making adoption endogenous. We also explore pathways from intensification to dietary diversity. We find significant positive associations between the adoption intensity of sustainable intensification practices (SIPs) such as minimum tillage, minimum tillage and crop rotation, and minimum tillage and intercrops and improved production and crop diversity and in turn, dietary diversity on average. These findings hinge on there being widespread adoption of SIPs. There is need for concerted efforts to address current bottlenecks that hinder widespread adoption and promote broader food group diversification to realize the nutrition related co-benefits associated with sustainable intensification.
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spelling CGSpace1300402025-11-06T13:03:28Z Sustainable intensification and household dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe Ngoma, Hambulo Simutowe, Esau Manyanga, Mark Thierfelder, Christian L. households smallholders sustainable intensification With only four years before the end date for the United Nations Decade of Action on Nutrition, the need to identify nutrition-sensitive and sustainable agricultural interventions that can address hunger and malnutrition cannot be more urgent. This paper assesses associations between sustainable intensification practices and dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Using survey data from 1124 households, we apply an instrumental variable approach that allows to control for the fact that farmers self-select themselves into adopting sustainable intensification practices, making adoption endogenous. We also explore pathways from intensification to dietary diversity. We find significant positive associations between the adoption intensity of sustainable intensification practices (SIPs) such as minimum tillage, minimum tillage and crop rotation, and minimum tillage and intercrops and improved production and crop diversity and in turn, dietary diversity on average. These findings hinge on there being widespread adoption of SIPs. There is need for concerted efforts to address current bottlenecks that hinder widespread adoption and promote broader food group diversification to realize the nutrition related co-benefits associated with sustainable intensification. 2023 2023-04-18T17:14:38Z 2023-04-18T17:14:38Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/130040 en Open Access application/pdf SAGE Publications Ngoma, H., Simutowe, E., Manyanga, M., & Thierfelder, C. (2023). Sustainable intensification and household dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Outlook on Agriculture, 52(1), 34–46.
spellingShingle households
smallholders
sustainable intensification
Ngoma, Hambulo
Simutowe, Esau
Manyanga, Mark
Thierfelder, Christian L.
Sustainable intensification and household dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe
title Sustainable intensification and household dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe
title_full Sustainable intensification and household dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe
title_fullStr Sustainable intensification and household dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe
title_full_unstemmed Sustainable intensification and household dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe
title_short Sustainable intensification and household dietary diversity in maize-based farming systems of Zambia and Zimbabwe
title_sort sustainable intensification and household dietary diversity in maize based farming systems of zambia and zimbabwe
topic households
smallholders
sustainable intensification
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/130040
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