DOES AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION DIVERSITY CONTRIBUTE DIETARY DIVERSITY? EVIDENCE FROM RURAL HOUSEHOLDS OF SAMARKAND REGION IN UZBEKISTAN

Аннотация

Most of the world’s poor and food insecure live in rural area. Together with, smallholder farmers  produce 70–80% of the world’s food and yet are largely food insecure. This article describes the results of a study on the example of small farms in Samarkand region, which has a high share in agricultural production in Uzbekistan. In Uzbekistan, almost half of the population lives in rural areas and majority of them are smallholder farmers. This paper examines how agricultural production diversification impact rural household’s dietary diversity using crop and livestock diversification separately at a household level. Data were analysed using multivariate regression model, which showed livestock and crop diversification were positively associated with household dietary diversity which consumed own production. Nevertheless, in terms livestock diversification there was negative association household dietary diversity which consumption comes from market. Results suggest that interventions that increase production diversity, especially livestock diversification in beneficial for household nutrition. Along with, the government should remain promoting crop diversification, including high-value crops like horticulture, that can increase production can lead to improved nutrition through linking with agriculture in Uzbekistan. Besides that, dissemination of information on healthy eating by community self-government bodies, in the mass media and at educational institutions will further increase their knowledge on dietary diversity as one of the indicators of food security.