Increased Rice Yield Improves Nutrition of Farmers in Madagascar
―Towards solving malnutrition problem in Africa by improving productivity of staple crops―

JIRCAS, in collaboration with the University of Tokyo and the National Office of Nutrition of Madagascar, has used econometric methods to show that increasing the yield of rice, the main staple food in Madagascar, is effective in improving farmers' nutrition in rural areas where serious nutrition problems exist.

The analysis in this study showed that increased rice yield resulted not only in increased rice consumption but also in increased purchase of nutritious foods such as vegetables, fruits, and meat/fish due to the cash income from rice sales. It was suggested that the diversification of foods consumed through these purchase behaviors contributes to improved nutrition, not only in terms of energy supply, but also in terms of the supply of micronutrients such as vitamin A, zinc and iron, i.e., in both quantity and quality.

Until now, there have been limited studies evaluating the impact of increased productivity of staple food crops on farmers' nutritional supply in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. This study found that technological interventions to improve paddy rice productivity can lead to diversification of purchasing behavior through consumption and markets, leading to improved nutrition for poor farmers, and is expected to contribute to Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), "Zero Hunger".

The results of this research have been published in the electronic edition of Food Security, an international scientific journal, on January 11, 2023 (JST).

Authors

Relwendé Apollinaire Nikiema, Sakiko Shiratori, Jules Rafalimanantsoa, Ryosuke Ozaki, and Takeshi Sakurai

Title

How are higher rice yields associated with dietary outcomes of smallholder farm households in Madagascar?

Journal

Food Security
DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-022-01333-5

JIRCAS President　KOYAMA Osamu　

Program Director

NAKASHIMA Kazuo (Food Program)

Principal Investigators

SHIRATORI Sakiko (Information and Public Relations Office), OZAKI Ryosuke (Social Sciences Division), TSUJIMOTO Yasuhiro (Crop, Livestock and Environment Division)

Press Coordinator

OMORI Keisuke (Head, Information and Public Relations Office
E-mail: koho-jircas@ml.affrc.go.jp

The University of Tokyo

Principal Investigators

Relwendé Apollinaire Nikiema and SAKURAI Takeshi (Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics)

Press Coordinator

Public Relations Office, General Affairs Department, Faculty of Agriculture

E-mail: koho.a@gs.mail.u-tokyo.ac.jp

 

Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)

Coordinator

Department of International Affairs
E-mail: global@jst.go.jp

Press

Public Relations Office
E-mail: jstkoho@jst.go.jp

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

Coordinator:

Agriculture and Rural Development Group II, Economic Development Department
E-mail: edga2@jica.go.jp