A multi-dimensional assessment of sustainable foods and the influence of stakeholder perceptions during nutrition interventions

Abstract

In addressing the growing challenge of malnutrition, many governments, donors, and international organizations have committed to supporting large-scale programs to speed up global nutrition targets. However, food systems differ in size and structure from one country to another and between rural and urban areas, which might affect nutrition program success, especially in developing countries. In this study, we developed and tested an integrated field and model-based framework to assess nutrition, health, environment, and time burden to support the sustainable implementation of interventions within a local food system. Then, we examined the influence of stakeholder priorities in harmony with SDGs 2 and 12 on contextual drivers for selecting an optimal food processing method to introduce into meal preparation. The framework was designed considering nutrient profiling, environmental impact assessment, and multicriteria modeling and executed on the “Strengthening Capacity of Local Actors in the Nutrition-Sensitive Agri-food Value Chain” project in Zambia and Malawi. The results suggest that stakeholders' priorities substantially influence the method adopted in a local food system. Additionally, there are inevitable trade-offs, such as time burden/gain, fuel and water consumption, and lower/greater micronutrient levels during food processing and meal preparation that compete with nutrition program objectives; nonetheless, these trade-offs must be embraced to achieve sustainable food systems. Furthermore, nutrient leakages observed due to varying local processing and preparation raise concerns about the sustained efforts by international organizations. If confirmed in other regions, implies that investments during nutrition programs are wasted somewhere in the system due to inefficiencies at the household level.