IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/ssefpa/v16y2024i4d10.1007_s12571-024-01458-9.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The association between crop diversity and children’s dietary diversity: multi-scalar and cross-national comparisons

Author

Listed:
  • Carina Isbell

    (The University of Vermont)

  • Daniel Tobin

    (The University of Vermont)

  • Brian C. Thiede

    (The Pennsylvania State University)

  • Kristal Jones

    (JG Research and Evaluation)

  • Travis Reynolds

    (The University of Vermont)

Abstract

Food insecurity is rising across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where undernourishment continues to affect a large portion of the population, particularly young children. Studies examining the associations between crop diversity and childhood nutrition have recently proliferated but are characterized by inconsistent results and two key limitations. First, many studies focus only on the household level, overlooking the prospect that more diverse crops at village and regional levels may contribute to household food security. Second, many studies pool data from multiple countries, which may obscure important context-specific aspects of nutrition outcomes. Drawing on Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 10 SSA countries, in combination with agricultural production estimates for 112 crop species, this study explores the associations between crop diversity at multiple scales (10-, 25-, and 50-kilometer radii) and children’s dietary diversity (HDDS). In addition to producing overall estimates across our sample, we measure country-specific associations to account for spatial heterogeneity. Results of the overall model show a negative association between crop diversity and dietary diversity. However, the country-specific analyses uncover extensive variability in these associations: in some cases, diversity is highly positively correlated with HDDS, while in others the estimated effect is negative or nonexistent. Our findings suggest that country-level analyses provide important nuance that may be masked in pooled analyses. Moreover, these findings foreground the importance of looking beyond household-level analyses to understand the dynamic role that local crop diversity, and its exchange across space, can play in supporting children’s dietary diversity.

Suggested Citation

  • Carina Isbell & Daniel Tobin & Brian C. Thiede & Kristal Jones & Travis Reynolds, 2024. "The association between crop diversity and children’s dietary diversity: multi-scalar and cross-national comparisons," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 16(4), pages 883-897, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:16:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s12571-024-01458-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-024-01458-9
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12571-024-01458-9
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12571-024-01458-9?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cory W. Whitney & Eike Luedeling & John R. S. Tabuti & Antonia Nyamukuru & Oliver Hensel & Jens Gebauer & Katja Kehlenbeck, 2018. "Crop diversity in homegardens of southwest Uganda and its importance for rural livelihoods," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 35(2), pages 399-424, June.
    2. Pietro Barbieri & Sylvain Pellerin & Verena Seufert & Thomas Nesme, 2019. "Changes in crop rotations would impact food production in an organically farmed world," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 2(5), pages 378-385, May.
    3. Charlie C. Nicholson & Benjamin F. Emery & Meredith T. Niles, 2021. "Global relationships between crop diversity and nutritional stability," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    4. Sukhwinder Singh & Andrew D. Jones & Ruth S. DeFries & Meha Jain, 2020. "The association between crop and income diversity and farmer intra-household dietary diversity in India," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(2), pages 369-390, April.
    5. Lovo, Stefania & Veronesi, Marcella, 2019. "Crop Diversification and Child Health: Empirical Evidence From Tanzania," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 158(C), pages 168-179.
    6. Maryia Bakhtsiyarava & Kathryn Grace, 2021. "Agricultural production diversity and child nutrition in Ethiopia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(6), pages 1407-1422, December.
    7. Jones, Andrew D. & Shrinivas, Aditya & Bezner-Kerr, Rachel, 2014. "Farm production diversity is associated with greater household dietary diversity in Malawi: Findings from nationally representative data," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(C), pages 1-12.
    8. Neha Kumar & Phuong Hong Nguyen & Jody Harris & Danny Harvey & Rahul Rawat & Marie T Ruel, 2018. "What it takes: evidence from a nutrition- and gender-sensitive agriculture intervention in rural Zambia," Journal of Development Effectiveness, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(3), pages 341-372, July.
    9. Tesfaye, Wondimagegn & Tirivayi, Nyasha, 2020. "Crop diversity, household welfare and consumption smoothing under risk: Evidence from rural Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    10. Jesse K. Anttila-Hughes & Amir S. Jina & Gordon C. McCord, 2021. "ENSO impacts child undernutrition in the global tropics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    11. Davis Muthini & Jonathan Nzuma & Rose Nyikal, 2020. "Farm production diversity and its association with dietary diversity in Kenya," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(5), pages 1107-1120, October.
    12. Delphine Renard & David Tilman, 2019. "National food production stabilized by crop diversity," Nature, Nature, vol. 571(7764), pages 257-260, July.
    13. Blessing J. Akombi & Kingsley E. Agho & John J. Hall & Nidhi Wali & Andre M. N. Renzaho & Dafna Merom, 2017. "Stunting, Wasting and Underweight in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-18, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sayla Khandoker & Alka Singh & Shivendra Kumar Srivastava, 2022. "Leveraging farm production diversity for dietary diversity: evidence from national level panel data," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 10(1), pages 1-20, December.
    2. Bai, Yunli & Zeng, Xuanye & Zhang, Linxiu & Song, Yiching & Zeng, Xuanye, 2021. "Domestic decision-making, crop diversity, and household dietary diversity: Evidence from five developing countries in Asia," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315393, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Eder, Andreas & Salhofer, Klaus & Quddoos, Abdul, 2024. "The impact of cereal crop diversification on farm labor productivity under changing climatic conditions," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 223(C).
    4. Tesfaye, Wondimagegn, 2022. "Crop diversification and child malnutrition in rural Ethiopia: Impacts and Pathways," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).
    5. Sikhulumile Sinyolo & Conrad Murendo & Admire Mutsa Nyamwanza & Sithembile Amanda Sinyolo & Catherine Ndinda & Chijioke Osinachi Nwosu, 2021. "Farm Production Diversification and Dietary Diversity among Subsistence Farming Households: Panel Data Evidence from South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-14, September.
    6. Jie Zhao & Ji Chen & Damien Beillouin & Hans Lambers & Yadong Yang & Pete Smith & Zhaohai Zeng & Jørgen E. Olesen & Huadong Zang, 2022. "Global systematic review with meta-analysis reveals yield advantage of legume-based rotations and its drivers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-9, December.
    7. Tesfaye, Wondimagegn & Tirivayi, Nyasha, 2020. "Crop diversity, household welfare and consumption smoothing under risk: Evidence from rural Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    8. Eric O. Verger & Cédric Gaillard & Andrew D. Jones & Roseline Remans & Gina Kennedy, 2021. "Construction and Interpretation of Production and Market Metrics Used to Understand Relationships with Dietary Diversity of Rural Smallholder Farming Households," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-21, August.
    9. Ruel, Marie T. & Quisumbing, Agnes R. & Balagamwala, Mysbah, 2017. "Nutrition-sensitive agriculture: What have we learned and where do we go from here?:," IFPRI discussion papers 1681, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    10. Matthew C. LaFevor & Aoife K. Pitts, 2022. "Irrigation Increases Crop Species Diversity in Low-Diversity Farm Regions of Mexico," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-18, June.
    11. Muhammed Abdella Usman & Daniel Callo-Concha, 2021. "Does market access improve dietary diversity and food security? Evidence from Southwestern Ethiopian smallholder coffee producers," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 9(1), pages 1-21, December.
    12. Mulenga, Brian P. & Ngoma, Hambulo & Nkonde, Chewe, 2021. "Produce to eat or sell: Panel data structural equation modeling of market participation and food dietary diversity in Zambia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    13. Song, Xiaoqing & Wang, Xiong & Li, Xinyi & Zhang, Weina & Scheffran, Jürgen, 2021. "Policy-oriented versus market-induced: Factors influencing crop diversity across China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 190(C).
    14. Abedin, Naveen & Haque, Samiul, 2021. "Effectiveness of agricultural diversification in promoting food security," 2021 Annual Meeting, August 1-3, Austin, Texas 313967, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    15. Elijah N. Muange & Marther W. Ngigi, 2021. "Dietary quality and overnutrition among adults in Kenya: what role does ICT play?," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(4), pages 1013-1028, August.
    16. Xia, Haiyong & Qiao, Yuetong & Li, Xiaojing & Xue, Yanhui & Wang, Na & Yan, Wei & Xue, Yanfang & Cui, Zhenling & van der Werf, Wopke, 2023. "Moderation of nitrogen input and integration of legumes via intercropping enable sustainable intensification of wheat-maize double cropping in the North China Plain: A four-year rotation study," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    17. Kansanga, Moses Mosonsieyiri & Kangmennaang, Joseph & Bezner Kerr, Rachel & Lupafya, Esther & Dakishoni, Laifolo & Luginaah, Isaac, 2021. "Agroecology and household production diversity and dietary diversity: Evidence from a five-year agroecological intervention in rural Malawi," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 288(C).
    18. Narmandakh, Davaatseren & Marenya, Paswel & Opie, Hellen & Bett, Charles, 2024. "Crop production diversity or market access? Welfare outcomes among sorghum-growing households in rural Kenya and Uganda," IAAE 2024 Conference, August 2-7, 2024, New Delhi, India 344362, International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE).
    19. Romaza Khanum & Petra Schneider & Muhammad Salim Al Mahadi & Mohammad Mojibul Hoque Mozumder & Md. Mostafa Shamsuzzaman, 2022. "Does Fish Farming Improve Household Nutritional Status? Evidence from Bangladesh," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(2), pages 1-16, January.
    20. Julius Chegere, Martin & Sebastian Kauky, Monica, 2022. "Agriculture commercialisation, household dietary diversity and nutrition in Tanzania," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:16:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1007_s12571-024-01458-9. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.