Associations between irrigated farming and improved nutrition in Malawian farm households

Expansion of irrigation is a recurrent objective of the agricultural development plans formulated by successive governments in Malawi. More intensive and continual use of Malawi’s water and agricultural land resources is expected to increase and stabilize production of food and export crops, thereby...

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Autor principal: Benson, Todd
Formato: Capítulo de libro
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2015
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151092
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author Benson, Todd
author_browse Benson, Todd
author_facet Benson, Todd
author_sort Benson, Todd
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Expansion of irrigation is a recurrent objective of the agricultural development plans formulated by successive governments in Malawi. More intensive and continual use of Malawi’s water and agricultural land resources is expected to increase and stabilize production of food and export crops, thereby increasing farm incomes, spurring growth in the agricultural sector, and enabling the country to more reliably meet the increasing food needs of its growing population. In addition, irrigation should allow for a more diverse set of crops to be grown throughout the year, with significant expansion desired particularly in the production of micronutrient-rich vegetables and fruit. With increasing use of irrigation across the country, Malawians will gain greater access to more food and a more diverse range of foods. The nutritional status of young children and other vulnerable groups should improve as a result. Conceptually, this nutritional argument to build support for expanding investments in irrigation in Malawi seems reasonable; however, there is little empirical evidence from Malawi or elsewhere to confirm whether irrigation improves nutritional status.
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spelling CGSpace1510922025-11-06T04:17:33Z Associations between irrigated farming and improved nutrition in Malawian farm households Benson, Todd nutrition security agriculture smallholders nutrition food security poverty Expansion of irrigation is a recurrent objective of the agricultural development plans formulated by successive governments in Malawi. More intensive and continual use of Malawi’s water and agricultural land resources is expected to increase and stabilize production of food and export crops, thereby increasing farm incomes, spurring growth in the agricultural sector, and enabling the country to more reliably meet the increasing food needs of its growing population. In addition, irrigation should allow for a more diverse set of crops to be grown throughout the year, with significant expansion desired particularly in the production of micronutrient-rich vegetables and fruit. With increasing use of irrigation across the country, Malawians will gain greater access to more food and a more diverse range of foods. The nutritional status of young children and other vulnerable groups should improve as a result. Conceptually, this nutritional argument to build support for expanding investments in irrigation in Malawi seems reasonable; however, there is little empirical evidence from Malawi or elsewhere to confirm whether irrigation improves nutritional status. 2015-12-16 2024-08-01T02:55:15Z 2024-08-01T02:55:15Z Book Chapter https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151092 en https://hdl.handle.net/10568/149812 Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Benson, Todd. 2015. Associations between irrigated farming and improved nutrition in Malawian farm households. In Mapping the linkages between agriculture, food security and nutrition in Malawi. Chapter 6. Pp. 50-55. Lilongwe, Malawi; and Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151092
spellingShingle nutrition security
agriculture
smallholders
nutrition
food security
poverty
Benson, Todd
Associations between irrigated farming and improved nutrition in Malawian farm households
title Associations between irrigated farming and improved nutrition in Malawian farm households
title_full Associations between irrigated farming and improved nutrition in Malawian farm households
title_fullStr Associations between irrigated farming and improved nutrition in Malawian farm households
title_full_unstemmed Associations between irrigated farming and improved nutrition in Malawian farm households
title_short Associations between irrigated farming and improved nutrition in Malawian farm households
title_sort associations between irrigated farming and improved nutrition in malawian farm households
topic nutrition security
agriculture
smallholders
nutrition
food security
poverty
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/151092
work_keys_str_mv AT bensontodd associationsbetweenirrigatedfarmingandimprovednutritioninmalawianfarmhouseholds