Improved Nutrition

Undernutrition, particularly during the 1,000 days from pregnancy to a child’s second birthday, leads to lower levels of educational attainment, productivity, lifetime earnings, and economic growth rates. Horticulture plays a unique role in ensuring access to and availability of diverse, nutritious food. Increased dietary diversity is highly correlated with better health, and thus reduction of malnutrition and stunting. Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption is one of the few dietary strategies that can help improve both undernutrition and overnutrition, which can co-exist even in the same household (the so-called "double burden of malnutrition" in transitioning economies).

Strengthening the horticulture sector in Niger

Led by Erin McGuire ,
The project builds on the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s efforts in Niger by strengthening key horticulture value chains and increasing the capacity of actors in the horticulture sector through this Mission buy-in from the USAID Mission in Niger.
Niger

Empowering Young Horticulture Researchers in Honduras

Led by Julio López Montes,
A fellowship-oriented program that provides seed funding to higher-education students in Honduras to conduct small-scale research projects across the horticulture value chain. Students will be guided through a grant drafting and submission training program to increase capacity in applying for funding, and supporting expertise to implement research projects.
Honduras

Promoting food and nutrition security in the West African sub-region through indigenous, neglected and underutilized fruits and vegetables

Led by Dr. Freda E. Asem,
Providing a deeper understanding of the significant role African indigenous fruit and vegetable (AIFVs) have in global food and nutrition security, this project investigates how actors along the value chain can increase income through enhanced production and consumption of and AIFVs in Ghana and Mali.
Ghana, Mali

Determining the trade-offs between short and long horticulture value chains in Kenya

Led by Willis Owino,
A project focused on the impacts of long and short horticultural value chains on nutrition, economic and social outcomes, and the utilization of information communication technologies (ICTs) within these value chains, to determine the interventions and innovations required to achieve specific outcomes and avoid harmful unintended scaling outcomes.
Kenya