Combined interventions Targeting Agriculture, Gender and Nutrition Improve Agriculture Production and Diet Diversity More Than Individual interventions in Bangladesh

Abstract

Objectives Secondary data analysis in Bangladesh has found associations across agricultural production, women’s empowerment, and nutrition outcomes. Less is known, though, about whether combining interventions across these areas is more effective than isolated interventions to improve agricultural diversity, diet diversity, and women’s empowerment in Bangladesh. Methods The Agriculture, Nutrition, and Gender Linkages study used a cluster randomized controlled trial to evaluate impacts of agriculture, nutrition, and/or gender interventions on food production, diets, and empowerment. 160 blocks were randomized to control and 5 training models: (T1) nutrition by government agriculture extension agents (AEAs); (T2) nutrition by community nutrition workers; (T3) agriculture on production of nutrient-rich foods by AEAs; (T4) agriculture and nutrition by AEAs; and (T5) agriculture and nutrition by AEAs, and gender sensitization. Trainings targeted men and women together. 4000 farm households with a child under age 2 at baseline were surveyed 2 years apart. Impact estimates used endline data, adjusting for baseline characteristics using analysis of covariance. Results All treatments significantly improved agriculture production knowledge and adoption of improved production practices, more so in arms with agriculture training (T3, T4, T5), and for women than men. All treatments significantly improved nutrition knowledge, more so in arms with nutrition training, and for women than men. Household diet quality and child diet diversity significantly improved only in T2 and T4. Women’s empowerment significantly improved in all treatments, and men’s gender attitudes improved in T1, T4, T5, more so in the gender arm (T5). No impacts were expected or found on child anthropometry. Conclusions Joint interventions had larger impacts than isolated ones, suggesting synergies across agriculture, nutrition, and gender. Impact on food and nutrition outcomes (food production or nutrition practices) required agriculture and/or nutrition training. Funding Sources USAID; the Gender, Agriculture, and Assets Project, Phase 2, supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and the CGIAR Research Programs on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health and Policies, Institutions, and Markets.