Micronutrient deficiencies limit child health and development. Although animal source foods (ASF) provide highly bioavailable micronutrients, Ghanaian preschoolers consume little. Participatory rapid appraisal methods identified constraints to the availability, accessibility, and utilization of ASF. Stakeholders working with or living in six communities in three agro-ecological zones reported constraints including low income, lack of access to technology and markets, inequitable household food allocation, inadequate knowledge, and beliefs. The least expensive ASF was fish, which was easy to preserve and consumed by all communities. Since ASF was primarily purchased, interventions that increase income may be most successful in improving Ghanaian children's diets.

An integrated package of microcredit and education may improve nutritional outcomes of children living in poor, rural communities.

Caregivers' nutrition knowledge and attitudes may influence the variety of foods available in the household and the quality of children's diets. To test the link, this study collected data on caregivers' (n 608) nutrition knowledge and feeding attitudes as well as the diets of their household and of their 2-5-year-old children in twelve rural communities nested in the three main agro-ecological zones of Ghana. Household foods and children's animal source foods (ASF) consumed in the past 7 d were categorised into one of fourteen and ten groups, respectively. About 28 % of caregivers believed that their children needed to be fed only 2-3 times/d. Reasons for having adult supervision during child meal times, feeding diverse foods, prioritising a child to receive ASF and the perceived child benefits of ASF differed across zones (P < 0·001). Households with caregivers belonging to the highest tertile of nutrition knowledge and attitude scores consumed more diverse diets compared with those of caregivers in the lowest tertile group (11·2 (SD 2·2) v. 10·0 (SD 2·4); P < 0·001). After controlling for the effect of agro-ecological zone, caregivers' nutrition knowledge and feeding attitudes positively predicted household dietary diversity and the frequency and diversity of children's ASF intakes (P < 0·001). The number of years of formal education of caregivers also positively predicted household dietary diversity and children's ASF diversity (P < 0·001). A key component to improving child nutrition is to understand the context-specific nutrition knowledge and feeding attitudes in order to identify relevant interventions.

No abstract

Rural communities of sub-Saharan Africa are under increasing adaptive pressure resulting from decline in the quality of land resources. To increase food, generate income, and safeguard against risks and shocks, families are engaging in multiple livelihood strategies. This study was conducted to: 1) evaluate livelihood strategies; 2) examine the dynamic diversification process in the agrarian and non-agrarian continuum; and 3) investigate how type and availability of assets influences choice of a livelihood strategy. Results from our investigation in western Kenya suggest that as land is subjected to degradation, there is a shift in the type of assets that families can draw upon. Among the Luo, collision between deeply embedded cultural beliefs and access to land, is leading to a shift from farming to non-farming activities. They are heavily reliant on human labor to make a living hence becoming less resilient, and more vulnerable to existing and emerging risks and shocks. The overriding scenario is escalated land degradation, increased poverty levels, and a failed social support system. Asset diversification and intensification processes among the Kipsigis are closely intertwined with rapid social-cultural change and strong bonding and bridging ties. They are involved in an asset-led intensification and diversification strategies. Overall, our findings suggest that the ability to make a meaningful livelihood is dependent not only on the quality and quantity of assets that an individual household possesses, but also having capabilities to use and transform the assets as well.

Research and extension personnel are beginning to look for new strategies to involve more farmers and the non-farm public in their programs. Two approaches we have used are wholefarm case studies (WFCS) and focus groups. WFCS in Oregon and Washington led to several research and educational programming ideas that are currently being pursued in both states. A focus group to study water quality, nitrate leaching and farming practices in Skagit County, Washington is one outcome of the WFCS process. It is made up of 16 people, including farmers, university personnel, members of environmental groups, and government representatives.We review these two complementary participatory strategies for systems-oriented sustainable agriculture research and education programs. Both have been very useful for building problem-solving partnerships between the land-grant universities and agricultural and environmental constituents in our area. Noteworthy outcomes include: complementary applied on-farm and experiment station research; farming systems analysis; public education; new linkages with environmental and agricultural interest groups; additional grant funds to address identified priority issues; and interdisciplinary teams that cut across the biological and social sciences and include diverse citizen representation.

No abstract

Purchased ready‐to‐eat (RTE) foods or street foods are a common part of children's diets in many countries. These foods may contribute to improving children's diet quality. We assessed the relationship between consumption of RTE foods and animal source food (ASF) intake by 2‐ to 5‐y‐old children in rural Ghana. Interviewers collected data on purchase of RTE foods in the past week (N=454). Children's total ASF intakes also were recorded. Among caregivers who had purchased RTE foods (N=370) in the past week, 36 % (N=133) of them had obtained the foods specifically for their 2‐ to 5‐y‐old child. There were no significant differences in sociodemographic characteristics of caregivers who purchased RTE foods for children and those who did not with respect to years of education completed, weekly income, household wealth rank, marital status, and occupation. Children who consumed RTE foods were significantly more likely to have eaten livestock meats, organ meats, chicken, and eggs in the past week compared to children who did not consume any RTE foods (P<0.05). Mean ASF diversity score was significantly higher for children who had consumed RTE foods in the last week compared to children whose diets did not include RTE foods (5.3 ± 2.2 vs. 4.7 ± 2.3; P<0.02). Purchased RTE foods may be an important source of ASF in young children's diets in rural Ghana. GL‐CRSP funded in part by USAID, Grant # PCE‐G‐00‐98‐00036‐00.