Contribution of Homestead Food Production to Improved Household Food Security and Nutrition Status - Lessons Learned from Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal and the Philippines

Malnutrition is a serious public health problem in Asia. Since 2003, Helen Keller International (HKI) has been implementing homestead food production (HFP) programmes to increase and ensure year-round availability and intake of micronutrient-rich foods in the poor households of Asia. The aim of this chapter is to review the impact of HFP programmes and identify lessons learned for adaptation, replication and potential scale up. Impact evaluation data were reviewed that had been collected from a representative sample (10-20% of similar to 30,000 households) in HFP programme villages, and from similar numbers of comparison non-HFP programme villages, in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal and the Philippines. The information assessed included household garden practices, dietary intake, income and prevalence of anaemia and night blindness among children (6-59 months) and non-pregnant women. A review of the implementation process was also undertaken. The HFP programme improved household garden practices, food production and consumption, and dietary diversity. The number of crop varieties consumed was significantly increased from a range of 2-3 to 8-9 between baseline and end line among programme households. The change in proportion of households consuming eggs and/or liver was higher among programme (24-46%) than comparison (12-18%) households. The median income earned from selling surplus HFP produce in the month before the assessment increased from US$1 to US$7 in all programmes. Anaemia prevalence was lower among children in the programme households at end line compared with baseline, although the decrease was only significant in Bangladesh (from 63.9% to 45.2%), and the Philippines (from 42.9% to 16.6%). Overall, the HFP programme improved household garden practices, food consumption, dietary diversity and income, as well as reducing anaemia among preschoolchildren.