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

Vista sencilla de ítem
dc.creatorPassarelli, Simone
dc.creatorMekonnen, Dawit Kelemework
dc.creatorBryan, Elizabeth
dc.creatorRingler, Claudia
dc.date2018-08
dc.date2019-03-06T07:21:47Z
dc.date2019-03-06T07:21:47Z
dc.date.accessioned2026-06-27T15:24:32Z
dc.descriptionInterventions 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.
dc.formatapplication/pdf
dc.identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/100146
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/123456789/103494
dc.languageen
dc.publisherSpringer
dc.relationhttps://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.133515
dc.relationhttps://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.133713
dc.relationhttps://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134152
dc.relationhttps://doi.org/10.2499/p15738coll2.134425
dc.rightsOpen Access
dc.sourcePassarelli, 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
dc.subjectnutrients
dc.subjectincome
dc.subjectagricultural production
dc.subjectincome growth
dc.subjectnutrition
dc.subjectirrigation
dc.subjectfood security
dc.subjectdiet
dc.subjectdietary diversity
dc.titleEvaluating the pathways from small-scale irrigation to dietary diversity: evidence from Ethiopia and Tanzania
dc.typeJournal Article

Archivos

Colecciones

Instituto Internacional de Investigación sobre Políticas Alimentarias (IFPRI)