Increasing the production and consumption of vitamin A–rich fruits and vegetables: Lessons learned in taking the Bangladesh homestead gardening programme to a national scale

Abstract

Micronutrient malnutrition affects more than 20 million children and women (at least 50% of this population) in Bangladesh. The diets of more than 85% of women and children in Bangladesh are inadequate in essential micronutrients such as vitamin A, largely because adequate amounts of foods containing these micronutrients are not available, or the household purchasing power for these foods is inadequate. In Bangladesh and many other developing countries, large-scale programmes are needed to make a significant impact on this overwhelming malnutrition problem. There has been limited experience and success in expanding small-scale pilot programmes into large-scale, community-based programmes. This paper describes the development and expansion of the Bangladesh homestead gardening programme, which has successfully increased the availability and consumption of vitamin A-rich foods. The programme, implemented by Helen Keller International through partnerships with local non-governmental organizations, encourages improvements in existing gardening practices, such as promotion of year-round gardening and increased varieties of fruits and vegetables. We present our experience with the targeted programme beneficiaries, but we have observed that neighbouring households also benefit from the programme. Although this spillover effect amplifies the benefit, it also makes an evaluation of the impact more difficult. The lessons learned during the development and expansion of this community-based programme are presented. There is a need for an innovative pilot programme, strong collaborative partnerships with local organizations, and continuous monitoring and evaluation of programme experiences. The expansion has occurred with a high degree

Combatting Vitamin A deficiency

“…The increased income achieved via household gardening was found in one study to be used mainly for the purchase of food (Talukder et al 2000). Increased income among women (Brun, Reynaud, and Chevassusagnes 1989) (who tend to take over gardening projects, even if initially targeted to men) and even women's decision-making power within the household (Bushamuka et al 2005) are often likely to be major benefits.…”

“…Large-scale programs have observed that benefits expand passively beyond the intervention areas to nearby communities (Greiner and Mitra 1995), (Talukder et al 2000), (Faber et al 2011). Biofortification and dissemination of sweet potatoes cost $9 to $30 per disability-life-year (DALY) gained (Meenakshi et al 2010), while that from VAS was estimated at the estimated cost effectiveness of VAS is $73 per DALY gained (Fiedler et al 2014).…”

The Arrested Development of Golden Rice: The Scientific and Social Challenges of A Transgenic Biofortified Crop

“…Third, home gardening, which is proposed as a means to ensure the availability of fruits and vegetables, might be possible in rural areas, but it may be improbable in populated areas factoring in costs and time to tend the garden (Stein et al, 2008). A study in Bangladesh demonstrated that technical assistance was required for home gardens to be effective in increasing vegetable consumption, and households needed a regular supply of quality seed and other inputs (Talukder et al, 2000). Additionally, human and institutional capacity may well be required to implement and monitor the program, and nutrition education to achieve behavioral changes (Stein et al, 2008).…”

Food Security in Rural Bangladesh: Examining the Role of Women’s Earnings and Food Budget Control

“…Poor women are the central target in this program. This program covered more than 860,000 households in Bangladesh by February 2000 [2].…”