Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA), a research project funded by DFID, aims at establishing a linkage between agriculture and nutritional improvement in South Asian countries. The rationale of such a project could cause a surprise as rapid growth in food production, especially of cereals, in this region should have invariably led to an improvement in nutritional status. However, LANSA is seemingly premised on the a priori hypothesis that all that glitters may not be gold. Rapid growth in cereals production may not necessarily lead to nutritional improvement.
In Bangladesh, a paradox is that it witnesses reasonably high malnutrition - as reflected by rates of stunting and under-weight - amid so-called self-sufficiency in food grain production.
As far as Bangladesh is concerned, studies launched by LANSA on the issue under consideration seem to have helped shape policy decisions also. This is reflected by a growing number of nutrition-related projects under different ministries.
Experts on nutrition tend to argue that dietary diversity is a strong indicator of nutritional status of individuals. It is also believed that diversity in crop production leads to dietary diversity. In a recent research by Uttam Deb and others, funded by LANSA, the linkages among diversity in crop production, dietary diversity and nutritional outcomes were explored with important research questions in mind: What are the sources of livelihoods in rural Bangladesh? What is the level of diversity in production and consumption of food items among rural households? What is the level of nutritional intake (calorie, fat and protein) and nutritional condition of the sample households? Does crop diversity matter for diet diversity and food consumption?
The significance of the study is that it is based on household-level panel data collected from 500 households located in 12 villages of 11 districts in Bangladesh. The household level data for the study came for the period from 2010/11 to 2014/15. These data were collected by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) under the Village Dynamics in South Asia (VDSA) Project. Villages under study and sample households are from several agro-ecological zones and represent varied infrastructure and socio-economic conditions in Bangladesh.
Agriculture contributes substantially to rural livelihoods in Bangladesh. It accounts for 40 per cent of the total income of all rural households and more than 80 per cent for farm households. The relationship among crop diversity, diet diversity, income and nutritional status has been examined to reveal that diversity in crop production has increased during the study period. The average level of diversity in crop production (measured through Simpson Index) has slightly decreased from 0.21 in 2010/11 to 0.18 in 2014/15. On an average, farmers grew 8.2 crops in 2010/11 which increased to 9.3 in 2014/15. Daily consumption level of all food items has increased except for cereals which has slightly decreased. Average daily consumption of food items by members of farm household was higher than that of non-farm household members.
Crop diversity, per capita income of household, and education level of the household head had significant positive contribution to the dietary diversity score of the household. Nutritional status of household members is examined using the Body Mass Index (BMI). Econometric analysis reveals that crop diversity level has direct influence on dietary diversity and, thereby, on nutritional status of individual. Per capita income also plays a vital role in determining the nutritional status of a household member. Thus, this study provides empirical evidence about linkages among crop and dietary diversity and nutritional status in rural Bangladesh. Therefore, we can conclude that diversification in crop cultivation and related investment have contributed to nutritional achievement in Bangladesh. We must promote crop diversification for further improvement in nutritional status in Bangladesh.
Average daily consumption of food items by producer households were generally higher than non-producer households. On an average, producer households consumed two per cent more cereals and 15 per cent more vegetables than non-producer households. Potato consumption of producer households were 34 per cent higher while they also consumed 7.5 per cent more of fruits. Spices consumption was 14 per cent more and edible oils and fat consumption was 2.3 per cent higher than non-producer households. In case of sweet, sugar and gur, producer households consumed 14 per cent more than others. Only in case of pulses, non-producer households consumed 7 per cent more than producer households.
The reported results of the Fixed Effect Panel Data Regression model have identified the critical factors which determine energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate intake level. Estimated coefficients indicate strong positive association between diet diversity score and energy (Kcal) intake level. Similarly, per capita income of the household had highly significant positive association with energy intake level. Farm household had more energy intake then other households. In case of consumption of carbohydrate, diet diversity score had significant positive association. Farm households have higher level of intake than others. Protein intakes were also influenced by dietary diversity score and income of the households. Farm households experienced higher intake of protein. Households with higher education of the family head had likelihood of consuming less protein. Intake of fat has strong positive association with Dietary Diversity Score. In brief, intake of energy, carbohydrate, protein and fat intake of the household members were largely influenced by diet diversity score.
The writer is a former Professor of Economics at Jahangirnagar University. [email protected]
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