The paradox of food production, consumption, poverty and malnutrition in Tanzania
Data files
Dec 15, 2021 version files 39.42 KB
Abstract
Background: There have been claims amongst nutrition stakeholders in Tanzania that the food basket regions are leading in stunting prevalence. However, we could not find evidence that combines food production and stunting levels to substantiate this claim. Therefore, this study aims to compare data of stunting, food production and consumption at administrative regions in Tanzania Mainland.
Methods: The study used an ecological study design to show the relationship between stunting, poverty, and food production and consumption across administrative regions in Tanzania. The study used data from three national wide surveys: 2017/2018 Household Budget Survey (HBS), Tanzania National Nutrition Survey (TNNS) 2018 and Agriculture Statistics for Food Security report 2018/2019.
Results: The study showed that there is a positive relationship between the prevalence of stunting and food production (r=0.43, p=0.03) while there is a negative relationship between stunting and the level of both the average monthly household consumption expenditure (r = -0.48, p = 0.01) and average monthly household food consumption expenditure (r = -0.509, p = 0.01). It was further found that some regions which have higher levels of stunting such as Njombe have the lowest level of basic need poverty.
Conclusion: The study found a positive relationship between food production and the prevalence of stunting using data across regions in Mainland Tanzania. This is an indication that regional food security may not entail nutrition security hence a call for more advocacy on nutrition-sensitive agriculture.
Methods
This is an ecological study design using secondary data compiled from three sources: Tanzania Household Budget Survey (HBS) 2017/2018, Tanzania National Nutrition Survey (TNNS 2018) and Agriculture Statistics for Food Security report 2018/2019. Both HBS and TNNS are national-wise cross-sectional data organized by the Ministry of Finance and Planning and Ministry of Health respectively while Agriculture Statistics for Food Security report 2018/2019 was prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture.
The data used Poverty, Average Food Consumption in TZS, Average Non Food Consumption in TZS and Average Monthly Consumption in TZS Data from HBS 2017/18, Total Food Production, Non-Cereal Food Production, Cereal Food Production from Agriculture Statistics for Food Security report 2018/2019 and Stunting Data from TNNS 2018.
Excel and Stata were the software used to show the relationship between this variables.