Adding a food consumption perspective to farming systems research

This report identifies several consumption concerns which should be incorporated into FSR projects: (1) the seasonality of production, which may cause annual periods of deprivation; (2) the danger to consumption in shifting from subsistence crops to non-food cash crops and non-indigenous food staples; (3) the impact on consumption of small farm income, the regularity of its reception, and whether it is received by men or women; (4) extensionists" neglect of women, despite their involvement - sometimes to the detriment of nutritional concerns - in food and cash crop production; (5) the extra food intake needed to sustain the extra labor involved in cultivating cash crops; and (6) the effects of market inefficiency, government trade policies, and production shortfalls, which can raise consumer prices while lowering small farmer purchasing power. Ways are suggested for FSR teams to include these concerns in selecting a target area, conducting diagnostic baseline studies, formulating recommendation domains, and evaluating alternative technologies. Five FSR projects which included nutrition concerns are briefly described. A 6-page bibliography (1967-85) and a simplified dietary survey are among the appendices.