Farmer Nutrition School Session Guide on Essential Nutrition Actions, Essential Hygiene Actions, and Homestead Food Production

The focus of the community intervention is Homestead Food Production (HFP) for the promotion of nutrient-dense vegetables and animal source foods. The FNS integrates agricultural extension and adult participatory learning to enhance the capacity of households to make well-informed crop management decisions. The Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA) framework delivers a set of evidence-based interventions to improve nutritional status during the critical 1,000 days from pregnancy through the first two years, targeting pregnant and lactating women and their young children. The framework defines the right action to be taken by the right person at the right time in the life cycle. The ENA framework promotes a "nutrition through the life cycle" approach, addressing adolescent and women's nutrition during pregnancy and lactation, optimal breastfeeding and complementary feeding practices, nutritional care of sick and malnourished children, and the control of anemia, vitamin A, and iodine deficiencies. The Essential Hygiene Actions (EHA) delivers a set of evidence-based practices for food hygiene and handwashing, and addresses the need for a simple water source (tippy tap) around the cooking area. The actions include promotion of safe drinking water, handwashing at five critical occasions, safe disposal of feces, safe storage and handling of food, use of latrines, and promotion of open defecation-free communities. Implementing ENA/EHA in the agricultural sector provides several opportunities to promote specific nutrition actions for families, particularly for mothers and fathers with children under two years. The FNS integrates agricultural extension and adult participatory learning to enhance the capacity of households to make well-informed crop management decisions. The sessions continue throughout a cropping season and give each participant a chance to observe and demonstrate their knowledge through improved agronomic practices in their own fields. The FNS also promotes the production and consumption of high-quality diets rich in micronutrients for pregnant and lactating women and children ages 6-24 months. The FNS focuses on Homestead Food Production (HFP) for the promotion of nutrient-dense vegetables and animal source foods. The FNS integrates agricultural extension and adult participatory learning to enhance the capacity of households to make well-informed crop management decisions. The FNS also promotes the production and consumption of high-quality diets rich in micronutrients for pregnant and lactating women and children ages 6-24 months. The FNS is a community forum that teaches and mentors household members to improve the production and consumption of high-quality diets rich in micronutrients for pregnant and lactating women and children ages 6-24 months.