Vitamin A Deficiency and Training to Farmers: Evidence from a Field Experiment in Mozambique
NOVAFRICA Working Paper Series No. 1305
27 Pages Posted: 25 Jan 2014
Date Written: June 1, 2013
Abstract
Vitamin A deficiency is a widespread public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa. This paper analyzes the impact of a food-based intervention to fight vitamin A deficiency using orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP). We conducted a randomized evaluation of OFSP-related training to female farmers in Mozambique, in which the treatment group was taught basic concepts of nutrition, and OFSP-planting and cooking skills. We found encouraging evidence of changes in behavior and attitudes towards OFSP consumption and planting, and considerable increases in nutrition-related knowledge, as well as knowledge on cooking and planting OFSP.
Keywords: Vitamin A, Orange-fleshed Sweet Potato, Mozambique, Randomized Evaluation
JEL Classification: O12, O13, O33, I15
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