As part of her research for Humidtropics, Jessica Raneri, Nutrition Programme Specialist, Bioversity International, explains some of the challenges in gathering baseline data in the Mai Son district in Son La Province, Vietnam, to assess local food biodiversity and identify opportunities for improving diet quality and diversity. The focus is on women of child-bearing age and children between 12-23 months – an age group part of the critical 1000 day window for child development and the stage where they are able to consume a more diverse diet. As such, it is from this age group that … [Read more...]
Finding Common Development Goals in Nicaragua
With the objective of gaining a deeper understanding of the current activities and future directions of organizations working in the Nicanorte Action Site within the Central America and the Caribbean Flagship Project, Humidtropics has finalized its Nicanorte Organizational Analysis. The analysis was conducted with 20 organizations including national civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), farmer organizations, universities and university research institutes, and the public and private sectors. Aside from assisting in the Program's regional strategic and … [Read more...]
Improving Nutrition and Dietary Diversity in Vietnam
Assessing the nutrition potential of diverse local foods I am currently working on a nutrition initiative through the CGIAR Research Program on Integrated Systems for the Humid Tropics (Humidtropics) to assess the potential of diverse local foods in Vietnam. We are looking at the potential of using diverse local foods to improve diet quality and diversity, especially for women of reproductive age and for children between 12-23 months. Malnutrition rates are high in Vietnam with a lack of dietary diversity thought to be a crucial factor. In the developing world diets often consist of … [Read more...]