Agriculture for nutrition: Stories from Lao PDR

Dietary diversity is a big problem in Northern Laos. Many rural families regularly consume only 4 out of 10 major food groups, with rice often forming the majority of the meal. Despite eating local, leafy vegetables themselves, mothers rarely feed these to their young children, leading to high levels of stunting as well as micronutrient deficiencies.

This booklet outlines the activities of the Agriculture for Nutrition project, a US$38.8 million project mostly funded by GAFSP. It tackles malnutrition and rural poverty by providing nutrition education coupled with agricultural training to improve and diversify food production for household consumption, as well as creating stronger market linkages so that families can earn extra income.