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Researching a New Nutrition-sensitive Agriculture Indicator: NRVCC Fieldwork

SPRING’s extensive fieldwork studied nutrient-rich value chain commodities (NRVCC) that direct beneficiaries produce and set aside for home consumption.

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Both fish and shrimp were NRVCCs of study in Bangladesh, whereas in Cambodia only fish were studied.
In Cambodia, fish are sold and consumed fresh, though some households, like the one pictured here, smoke small amounts of fish to store for consumption and to give away.
A group of female farmers show their freshly harvested rape, a leafy green Zambian vegetable, during a focus group discussion.
A variety of green leafy vegetables (GLV) are grown in Zambia.
In Zambia, some GLVs, such as pumpkin leaves, are dried for later consumption. However, such products are rarely traded at market.
A table is set in Zambia showcasing a variety of products made from soybeans and peanuts.
In Zambia, soybeans and peanuts are made into a variety of local products. (Top left to top right: peanut butter, roasted peanut with skin, roasted peanut without skin; bottom left to bottom right: soya coffee (made from ground roasted soybeans), soybeans, scones made from soybeans)
One NRVCC studied in Bangladesh was the orange-flesh sweet potato, which were introduced as a nutritious food source by a Feed the Future project.
In Bangladesh, female farmers meet during a focus group discussion.
Male farmers meet during a focus group discussion in Cambodia.
A focus group discussion in Malawi made up of farmers who grow orange-flesh sweet potatoes.
Observation of Annual Impact Survey data collection for one project in Bangladesh. This survey is carried out by the project’s own outreach staff. The survey questionnaire collects all kinds of agricultural indicators and some consumption information, and lasts about two hours.
Observation of the Quarterly Performance Monitoring Survey for one project in Cambodia. This project’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) staff is responsible for collecting data.
A contracted enumerator conducts an Annual Direct Beneficiary Agricultural Outcome Survey for one project in Malawi (left). Several enumerators formed a team, and farmers sampled for the survey gathered in the village open space waiting for their turn (right) .
An advertisement by the vegetable shelves of SPAR -- a supermarket -- in Zambia shows local farmers who supply the fresh produce available in this market.
The records from farmers in each country show how information is recorded. (Top left to top right: handwritten Bangladesh records 1 and 2; filling in a premade form in Zambia 1 and 2; Bottom left to bottom right: simple record from Cambodia; an IP staff summary from Cambodia; a Cambodia model farmer keeps a raw record and a cleaned record on the project’s premade form)
Most projects still collected data on paper questionnaires, but one project in Zambia employed tablet technology.