The impact of a Solar Market Garden programme on dietary diversity, women's nutritional status and micronutrient levels in Kalale district of northern Benin

Objective: To examine the impacts of a Solar Market Garden 1-year solar-powered drip irrigation (SMG) programme in Kalale district of northern Benin on mothers' nutritional status and micronutrient levels. Design: Using a quasi-experimental design, sixteen villages were assigned to four groups: (i) SMG women's groups (WG); (ii) comparison WG; (iii) SMG non-WG (NWG); and (iv) comparison NWG. Difference-in-differences (DID) estimates were used to assess impacts on mothers' food consumption, diversity, BMI, prevalence of underweight (BMI < 18 center dot 5 kg/m(2)) and anaemia, and deficiencies of iron (ID) and vitamin A (VAD). Setting: Kalale district, northern Benin. Participants: Non-pregnant mothers aged 15-49 years (n 1737). Results: The SMG programme significantly increased mothers' intake of vegetables (DID = 25 center dot 31 percentage points (pp); P < 0 center dot 01), dietary diversity (DID = 0 center dot 74; P < 0 center dot 01) and marginally increased their intake of flesh foods (DID = 10 center dot 14 pp; P < 0 center dot 1). Mean BMI was significantly increased among SMG WG compared with the other three groups (DID = 0 center dot 44 kg/m(2); P < 0 center dot 05). The SMG programme also significantly decreased the prevalence of anaemia (DID = 12 center dot 86 pp; P < 0 center dot 01) but no impacts were found for the prevalence of underweight, ID and VAD. Conclusions: Improving mothers' dietary intake and anaemia prevalence supports the need to integrate gender-based agriculture to improve nutritional status. However, it may take more than a year, and additional nutrition and health programmes, to impact the prevalence of maternal underweight, ID and VAD.