This document summarizes discussions from a workshop on integrating gender considerations into agriculture and nutrition research. It outlines several pathways through which agricultural research could potentially impact nutrition outcomes, such as increasing production and income which could lead to improved food consumption, health care access, and maternal nutrition. The document also provides an example of how gender issues could be considered in the theory of change for developing vitamin A-enriched maize in Zambia. Key questions discussed include how research programs expect their outputs to contribute to nutrition, identifying gender issues along that pathway, and opportunities for gender research.

1. IDOS and Ag-Nutrition pathways:
Reflections after cognitive testing
of past 2 days
A4NH Gender-Nutrition Methods Workshop II, December 2-4, 2014
Bioversity International - Rome, Italy

2. Nutrition and Health in the CGIAR
Improved natural resource
systems and ecosystem
services
Reduced poverty
Improved food and
nutrition security for
health
Increased
agricultural
productivity
Gender IDO defined around empowerment (indicators: control over
resources, participation in decisions) could contribute to nutrition
but potentially also other IDOs.
Enhanced
smallholder
market access
Empowerment is different from and complementary to changes in
other indicators related to productivity, resilience, diet quality,
sustainability of production systems, etc.
Increased
agriculture
profitability
Increased
resilience of
the poor
Increased
dietary
quality
Improved
food
safety
Improved
human health
through good
ag practices
Improved
sustainability of
ag and aquatic
production
systems
Enhanced
conservation of
water, soils,
forests, and
biodiversity in ag
landscapes
Enhanced
resilience of
vulnerable areas
and restoration
of degraded land
SRF vision statement
Excerpt from the latest draft of the CGIAR Strategic Results
Framework (Nov 2014)

3. Importance of gender in agricultural nutrition linkages
Health
environment
Natural resources
Food market environment
Food access
Processing
& storage
Food
expenditure
Non-food
expenditure
Enabling
environment
Diet Child
nutrition
outcomes
Household assets and livelihoods
Health status
Mother’s
nutrition
outcomes
Health care
Women’s
empowerment
National
nutrition
profile
Agricultural
income
Caring capacity
& practices
Female energy
expenditure
Food
production &
gathering
National
economic
growth
Household Individual
Agricultural Production
IDO SLOs
Ag nutrition pathways
1. Own production -> food consumption
2. Income -> food purchase
3. Income-> healthcare purchase
4. Food prices -> food purchase
5. Women’s time use -> care capacity
6. Women’s workload -> maternal energy use
7. Women’s control of income -> resource allocation
If you are doing ag research and expecting nutrition impacts,
through which pathway(s) do you expect the impact to occur?

4. Example: Potential Gender Issues in Theory of Change for Orange Maize in Zambia
Prevalence of inadequate vitamin A intake reduced
Target consumers consume orange maize
Target consumers (or those who make
decisions about their diets) are aware and
convinced of the benefits of orange maize
Processors appreciate the
benefits of orange maize and
use it in products
Assumptions
–Orange maize is
available and
accessible to target
consumers or those
who are responsible
for their food
Traders appreciate the benefits of
orange maize and buy and sell it
Farmers adopt orange maize
Farmers are aware and convinced of
the benefits of orange maize
Assumptions
–Appropriate information about
orange maize reaches people
responsible for food
consumption decisions
–Processors and traders target
consumers who are vitamin A
deficient
Seed companies, agrodealers, and
other seed system actors make orange
maize available to farmers
Assumptions
–Appropriate information
about orange maize reaches
person(s) responsible for
varietal adoption decisions
Assumptions
–Seed is available, and
there are no barriers
or disincentives to
adoption (e.g., price of
hybrid seed)
–Orange maize delivers
expected benefits
(traits, price)
–Health benefits are
considered in adoption
decisions
Assumptions
--Accurate targeting of consumers
–Vitamin A is retained and
bioavailable
–No other changes in diet or
nutrition/health status

5. Groups
• AAS-TBD
• HumidTropics - TBD
• HarvestPlus
• AVRDC vegetable seed improvement and
marketing

6. Questions
• Sketch out a pathway through which the
program expects its research outputs to
contribute to nutrition-related outcomes
(diets)
• Identify key gender issues along the pathway
• Identify opportunities for gender research,
possibly using the types of empowerment
tools presented in this workshop

7. Environmental
contaminants
or vectors
Health
environment
Natural resources
Food market environment
Food access
Processing
& storage
Food
expenditure
Consumption
/ Expenditure
Non-food
expenditure
Nutrition and health knowledge
Enabling
environment
Individual diet
diversity
Target nutrient
consumption
Diet Child
nutrition
outcomes
Household assets and livelihoods
Health status
Mother’s
nutrition
outcomes
Health care
Women’s
empowerment
National
nutrition
profile
Agricultural
income
Caring capacity
& practices
Female energy
expenditure
Food
production &
gathering
National
economic
growth
Household Individual
Agricultural Production
Production
diversity
Household
food security
Knowledge /
attitudes
Target food
consumption
Anthropometry /
biomarkers
Infant and
young child
feeding
Food prices
and
availability
Women’s
Empowerment
in Ag Index
Energy
Time use expenditure