Evaluation of integrated agriculture and nutrition sensitive interventions for the African Chicken Genetic Gains (ACGG) program in Ethiopia and Tanzania

Evaluation of integrated agriculture and nutrition sensitive interventions for the African Chicken Genetic Gains (ACGG) program in Ethiopia and Tanzania

Project Summary (Objective & activities) 

The Agriculture to Nutrition (ATONU) Project),  aims to develop and implement its nutrition-sensitive intervention within the context of chicken producing households with the goal of improving the nutritional status of women of reproductive age and young children, particularly in the first 1000 days of life in collaboration with the ACGG program. Specifically, ACGG is evaluating the agricultural productivity of high-producing chicken genotypes in Ethiopia and Tanzania and will be providing 20-30 chickens to small-scale chicken-producing households in the two countries. Working with ATONU and ACGG, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health will evaluate the nutritional impact of these two interventions among smallholder chicken-producing households in Ethiopia and Tanzania.

Specific Aims:

1. To estimate the effect of the ACGG intervention (increased number of improved chicken and technical support on production) on dietary diversity among women of reproductive age (18 to 49 years) and emancipated minors
2. To estimate the additional effect of the ATONU nutrition-sensitive intervention (BCC and home gardening) in the context of ACGG on dietary diversity among women of reproductive age (18 to 49 years) and emancipated minors
3. To estimate the combined effect of the ACGG and ATONU interventions on dietary diversity among women of reproductive age (18 to 49 years) and emancipated minors

Activities

-The baseline was conducted concurrent with ACGG’s distribution of chicks and prior to ATONU’s intervention implementation.

-Participating households was visited two times during the 12-month evaluation period, midline visit were conducted 9 months after follow-up of baseline visit, and an End-line visit will be conducted in April, in four regions of Ethiopia Amhara; Tigray; Oromia; Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR);