MAXIMISING THE NUTRITIONAL IMPACT OF FOOD SECURITY & LIVELIHOODS INTERVENTIONS: CASE STUDIES.

As part of its work to promote Food Security and Livelihoods interventions aiming at preventing undernutrition, ACF has produced a set of practical case studies based on recent and current nutrition-sensitive interventions in different contexts. This set of case studies highlights lessons learnt from six ACF projects implemented in Myanmar, Mali, Haiti, Pakistan, Liberia, and Guinea.

Tackling undernutrition will require solutions to be developed with the integration of the food security, livelihoods, health, care practices and nutrition sectors. Yet, the linkages between the different sectors are complex and experience has shown that each sector tended to operate in separate spheres. Food security and livelihoods (FSL) interventions whether as an emergency operation, or a protracted relief and rehabilitation operation still have major roles to play in combating undernutrition. Although evidence remains scattered and limited, they can bring about short and long-term nutritional benefits by providing the ‘right’ intervention at the ‘right time‘, and by ensuring nutrition-sensitive practices throughout the intervention pathway and life cycle.

These short case studies have been developed to raise awareness and share good practices related to nutrition-sensitive Food Security and Livelihoods interventions. Based on recent ACF interventions in different countries and contexts, they show how Food Security interventions can contribute to a better nutrition, by using a nutrition lens at different steps of the project cycle.

They complement the practical guideline produced in 2011 to support our field teams to design and implement more nutrition-sensitive interventions: Maximising the Nutritional Impact of FSL Interventions. A Manual for Field Workers: Case studies : maximising the nutritional impact of foos security and livelihoods interventions (actioncontrelafaim.org)

These case studies have been prepared, with the support and inputs from ACF country teams and advisors, by the ACF “Aligning Food Security & Livelihoods with Nutrition” Working Group, which aim is to promote and scale up nutrition sensitive FSL interventions, through documenting lessons learnt, building evidence, developing tools and guidance and building capacity.