Adult Nutrition Literacy as Part of Farming System Research: Insights Gained in Applying Adult Learning Principles

Nutrition-sensitive farming is seen as a solution to improve household nutrition security. The paper discusses how adult learning principles integrated with nutrition literacy, helped in behaviour change to move towards dietary diversity. Forty men and women selected across twelve villages participated in a residential training programme that facilitated critical reflection and dialogue on food and nutrition security. Following the training, they developed messages relevant to the social, economic, and cultural context in which they lived, integrated them with their existing knowledge about food and shared them with their communities. The trainees were followed up for one year and supported with capacity building on both technical and social aspects. Surveys, observation, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews were used to collect data. A wide diversity of action was observed at the individual, household, and community levels leading to the creation of a human resource base for nutrition-sensitive agriculture for dietary diversity.