Optimizing food assistance programs: Improving household food security and diet quality in Burundi

BY JEF L. LEROY, DEANNA K. OLNEY, MARIE RUEL, LILIA BLIZNASHKA AND TRACY BROWN

Fourth in a series of posts on a research project in Guatemala and Burundi that evaluated how to optimize food assistance programs for the maximum impact. Read the first piece here, the second here, and the third here.

Food-assisted maternal and child health and nutrition (FA-MCHN) programs are widely used in low- and middle-income countries to address problems of hunger, food insecurity, and undernutrition. Such programs generally include the distribution of micronutrient-fortified food commodities composed of a household ration, plus an individual ration specifically targeted to mothers and children. In addition, these types of programs commonly provide interventions such as health-service-strengthening activities, promotion of the use of these services, and behavior change communication (BCC) aimed at promoting optimal nutrition, hygiene, and health practices.

Photo credit: Jef Leroy/IFPRI