Nutrition: Let agriculture 'do no harm'

Agriculture is about food production, but often projects ultimately hurt communities’ health and nutrition. When the focus is tons and dollars, experts say, getting people the nutrients they need can be lost. The NGO Action contre la Faim (ACF) pays close attention to the nutritional impact of its interventions, but guidelines for measuring that, including in emergency situations, are lacking, according to Julien Morel, ACF senior food assistance adviser. ‘Having indicators and methodologies for measuring our actions’ impact on communities’ nutritional status would be extremely useful,’ he told IRIN. ‘We hope the USAID-led effort will help provide precise recommendations in this complex domain.'