NCT02761876

Singida Nutrition and Agroecology Project

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 700 (actual)
• Sponsor: Cornell University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 100 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this study is to test if a participatory, agroecological peer farmer-led education intervention can be effective at improving legume production, food security, and infant and young child feeding practices in Singida District, Tanzania.

Detailed description

Approximately 40% of under five children in Tanzania are stunted, with higher levels in rural areas. Our inception research in Singida identified five pressing issues faced by smallholder farmers that may contribute to this high rate of stunting. They are (A) hierarchical, or "top down" farmer education, (B) low soil fertility and little knowledge of agroecological solutions, (C) high levels of gender inequality and high workloads for women, (D) food insecurity and low dietary diversity, and (E) sub-optimal infant and young child feeding. Singida Nutrition and Agroecology Project (SNAP) is a randomized effectiveness trial of a participatory, agroecological peer farmer education intervention. Each intervention village will choose 2 mentor farmers, 1 man and 1 woman, who will participate in a field visit to and training by existing mentor farmers in Malawi and a two week long follow-up and refresher trainings in Tanzania integrating agroecology, climate change, nutrition, and gender equality. Mentor farmers will then conduct monthly visits to participating households and support the households in conducting experimentation with agroecological practices and/or new behaviors regarding nutrition and gender equality. Quarterly meetings among mentor farmers and biannual meeting of participating farmers within each village will be held to discuss progress and challenges of peer education and household experimentations.

Conditions

• Malnutrition

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Mentor farmer training (Malawi)	Mentor farmers, 1 man, 1 woman, from each village will participate in a field visit to and training by existing mentor farmers in Malawi. Only the intervention arm of this study will receive mentor farmer training in Malawi, delayed intervention arm will receive mentor farmer training from farmers participating in the initial intervention in Tanzania.
BEHAVIORAL	Mentor farmer training (Singida, Tanzania)	Mentor farmers will receive training in Singida, Tanzania on agroecology practices, climate change, nutrition, and gender equality. Intervention villages will receive training in 2016. Delayed intervention villages will receive training in 2019.
BEHAVIORAL	Mentor farmer visits and facilitation	Mentor farmers will conduct monthly visits to participating households and support the households in conducting experimentation with agroecological practices and/or new behavior regarding nutrition and gender equality. Quarterly meetings among farmers within each village will be held to discuss progress and challenges of household experimentations. Intervention households will receive support and facilitation for approximately 2 years. Delayed intervention households will receive support and facilitation for approximately 6 months after end line survey.

Timeline

• Start date: 2016-02-01
• Primary completion: 2019-02-01
• Completion: 2019-05-01
• First posted: 2016-05-04
• Last updated: 2020-10-08