Using instrumental variables to establish the relationship between household production diversity and household dietary diversity in northern Ghana

Despite the potential for agricultural diversification to improve nutrition, little scientific evidence exists in low- and middle-income countries on how the linkages between agriculture and nutrition work. In order to develop effective policies to address the nutrition-agricultural linkages in Ghana, it is important to understand and analyze the relationship between these variables. Agricultural production influences dietary quality because many rural households primarily depend on the food they produce. Households’ access to a diverse diet could enhance nutrition security as well as reduce mortality related to malnutrition. Thus, if households adopt a nutrition-sensitive approach in their production process, this may provide the necessary ingredients for diverse diets. However, over the years agricultural interventions in many developing countries have focused mainly on selected crops, particularly cereals, which may not meet household nutritional requirements. While these efforts have contributed to the reduction in hunger, over 800 million people in developing countries still suffer from hunger and micronutrient deficiencies. These effects show that eradicating hunger alone is not enough to ensure nutrition security. However, a potential solution comes from the agricultural sector through farm production diversity. A survey of rural farm households in Northern Ghana was conducted in the major and minor production seasons. Data were collected from six districts using a semi-structured questionnaire. The head of household (main decision maker) (n=505) and a woman mainly in charge of food preparation in the house were the main respondents in the surveys. Household dietary diversity score (HDDS) was measured as the number of counts of 12 food groups eaten by households within 24 hours prior to the interview and household production diversity score (HPDS) was measured as the total number of counts of crops and animals produced by the household in the last twelve months based on the same twelve food groups used in HDDS. A two stage least square with instrumental variables model was developed and estimated. After correcting for endogeneity, increased HPDS increased HDDS while increased distance to the nearest market, household size, proportion of produce sold, income, and price of maize decreased HDDS. Households are encouraged to diversify production but with caution because diversifying production may be unreliable due to the heavy reliance on rainfall in the area which is often unpredictable.