Promoting a healthy and diversified diet for families in Burkina Faso

Context

In Burkina Faso, 80 per cent of the population work in the agricultural sector and practice a subsistence economy, most often in small family farms. More than half of the population do not have access to a healthy and varied diet, including fruit and protein-rich food. For example, only 23.9 per cent of children aged 6 to 23 months consume a minimum acceptable diet.

Objective

The availability and quality of food as well as the delivery of public services has been improved in Burkina Faso.

Approach

Improved availability of healthy and varied food: food crops rich in nutrients are grown in community fields and gardens to improve dietary diversity. In addition, women learn how to process cereals, legumes and oilseeds into an easily preserved flour which they use to prepare their children’s porridge.

Better health and improved hygiene: training courses on creating recipes of healthy and balanced meals are organised for women. They are regularly trained on topics related to nutrition and food hygiene, but also communicated relevant information through radio and theatrical performances.

Improved public services for food, hygiene, and health as well as improved coordination across sectors: employees from public and decentralised services as well as civil society actors learn more in-depth knowledge about food, hygiene and health. The project supports existing coordinating bodies for agriculture and health sectors as well as the mainstreaming of nutrition-improvement activities into communal development plans as well as scaling up to the national level.

Last update: June 2023