Malnutrition rates in children under five remains alarmingly high in countries like Mozambique where one third of the population is chronically food-insecure, and the average life expectancy is only 50. Nearly 30% of the Mozambican population has a staple-based diet with limited access to a diversity of foods that are able to provide a full range of nutrients, including micronutrients needed for optimal health, and physical and mental development.
As the frontline force of food production, smallholder farmers play a critical role in the chain of solution. Even before fortification and processing come to play, the smallest changes incorporated into the production process can have massive, widespread effects in the quality and quantity of food distributed and consumed in the country..
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The USAID Feed the Future initiative seeks to reduce poverty and undernutrition in 19 developing countries through its focus on accelerating growth of the agriculture sector, addressing root causes of undernutrition, and reducing gender inequality. Westat was contracted by USAID to conduct the baseline and intermediate reviews to capture data on women’s empowerment in agriculture, household food security, consumption, nutrition, and well-being of households in the geographic areas targeted by Feed the Future interventions, known as Feed the Future Zones of Influence (ZOI).
