252
carbon sequestration (AAA Initiative 2017). In addition to maintaining soil health
and increasing pollination, forests also provide nutritious food (fruits, berries,
mushrooms), cooking fuel and income opportunities (through the sale of forest
products). In addition to maintaining soil health and increasing pollination, forests
also provide nutritious food (fruits, berries, mushrooms), cooking fuel and income
opportunities (through the sale of forest products); in southern Ethiopia proximity
to a forest increased dietary diversity due to the increase in feed for livestock and
resulting organic fertilizer for home gardens (Baudron et al. 2017).
It is critical that loss at the farm level is reduced by developing nutritious, resilient crop
varieties that can tolerate climate variability. For example, researchers at the World
Vegetable Center evaluated heat-tolerant and disease-resistant tomato varieties in Tanzania
and found the rate of return to seed improvement to be as high as that reported for some
staple crops (Schreinemachers et al. 2017). In the same region, access to improved pigeonpea varieties also increased income returns for farmers (Shiferaw et al. 2008).
Ultimately, to take full advantage, resilience at the farm level should be pursued
together with activities such as increasing soil organic carbon and diversity of production and trade (FAO 2013). On farm, activities that promote nutrition-sensitive
agriculture can improve soil organic carbon and incentivise crop diversity through
strategic (and nutritious) cover crops, such as pigeonpea. Though rotation systems
that use legumes and vegetables can increase rice yields in Africa, joint publicprivate sector strategies are needed to ensure quality legume seed production and
distribution (Ojiewo et al. 2015).
After harvest, additional steps can be taken to reduce loss. Many nutritious foods
(including fruit, vegetables, and dairy products) are perishable, therefore technology
and good agricultural practices would increase the resilience of these value chains to
climate shocks. Increased efficiency can also be achieved by providing storage and
distribution infrastructure in value chains. This would also limit the impact of the
production system on the environment, and vice versa (Gomez and Ricketts 2017).
Beyond adaption, opportunities also exist to introduce more nutritious crop varieties and increase uptake through location-specific interventions. The orange sweet
potato from HarvestPlus and the International Potato Center (CIP) expanded to 14
sub-Saharan African countries through partnerships with Feed the Future and private companies, and exemplifies positive progress in interventions for nutritious
foods. Indeed, by September 2016 orange sweet potato was estimated to have
reached 2.89 million households (Low et al. 2017). However, the effectiveness of
such interventions is dependent on consumer behavior and ultimately, consumer
acceptance of the biofortified varieties. In the above example of the orange sweet
potato, several consumer acceptance trials preceded large rollouts of specific varieties (e.g., Chowdhury et al. 2010). The importance of consumer behavior also
extends to other nutritious crops; in Rwanda, the acceptance of high-iron beans was
dependent upon location, income, and related nutritional information provided
(Murekezi et al. 2017).
In addition, there are opportunities for public-private partnerships like the Feed
the Future supported partnership in Ethiopia, to fortify wheat flour and provide
iodised salt, with UNICEF and the Global Agriculture Information Network
S. Allen and A. Brauw
carbon sequestration (AAA Initiative 2017). In addition to maintaining soil health
and increasing pollination, forests also provide nutritious food (fruits, berries,
mushrooms), cooking fuel and income opportunities (through the sale of forest
products). In addition to maintaining soil health and increasing pollination, forests
also provide nutritious food (fruits, berries, mushrooms), cooking fuel and income
opportunities (through the sale of forest products); in southern Ethiopia proximity
to a forest increased dietary diversity due to the increase in feed for livestock and
resulting organic fertilizer for home gardens (Baudron et al. 2017).
It is critical that loss at the farm level is reduced by developing nutritious, resilient crop
varieties that can tolerate climate variability. For example, researchers at the World
Vegetable Center evaluated heat-tolerant and disease-resistant tomato varieties in Tanzania
and found the rate of return to seed improvement to be as high as that reported for some
staple crops (Schreinemachers et al. 2017). In the same region, access to improved pigeonpea varieties also increased income returns for farmers (Shiferaw et al. 2008).
Ultimately, to take full advantage, resilience at the farm level should be pursued
together with activities such as increasing soil organic carbon and diversity of production and trade (FAO 2013). On farm, activities that promote nutrition-sensitive
agriculture can improve soil organic carbon and incentivise crop diversity through
strategic (and nutritious) cover crops, such as pigeonpea. Though rotation systems
that use legumes and vegetables can increase rice yields in Africa, joint publicprivate sector strategies are needed to ensure quality legume seed production and
distribution (Ojiewo et al. 2015).
After harvest, additional steps can be taken to reduce loss. Many nutritious foods
(including fruit, vegetables, and dairy products) are perishable, therefore technology
and good agricultural practices would increase the resilience of these value chains to
climate shocks. Increased efficiency can also be achieved by providing storage and
distribution infrastructure in value chains. This would also limit the impact of the
production system on the environment, and vice versa (Gomez and Ricketts 2017).
Beyond adaption, opportunities also exist to introduce more nutritious crop varieties and increase uptake through location-specific interventions. The orange sweet
potato from HarvestPlus and the International Potato Center (CIP) expanded to 14
sub-Saharan African countries through partnerships with Feed the Future and private companies, and exemplifies positive progress in interventions for nutritious
foods. Indeed, by September 2016 orange sweet potato was estimated to have
reached 2.89 million households (Low et al. 2017). However, the effectiveness of
such interventions is dependent on consumer behavior and ultimately, consumer
acceptance of the biofortified varieties. In the above example of the orange sweet
potato, several consumer acceptance trials preceded large rollouts of specific varieties (e.g., Chowdhury et al. 2010). The importance of consumer behavior also
extends to other nutritious crops; in Rwanda, the acceptance of high-iron beans was
dependent upon location, income, and related nutritional information provided
(Murekezi et al. 2017).
In addition, there are opportunities for public-private partnerships like the Feed
the Future supported partnership in Ethiopia, to fortify wheat flour and provide
iodised salt, with UNICEF and the Global Agriculture Information Network
S. Allen and A. Brauw