This study from September 2013 analyzed policy options toward promoting nutrient-dense foods to reduce undernutrition in Ghana. Markets have the potential to deliver these but are inhibited by market failures such as imperfect information, bounded rationality, and uncertainty. The report identifies four conditions under which value chains contribute to outcomes: value chains must produce adequately nutritious foods, make them available to those that need it, affordable to poor populations, and acceptable to consumer tastes. Inaccessible nutrient-heavy foods currently suffer from aflatoxin contamination, unverified quality, high costs, and lack of awareness among consumers.
Anim-Somuah, H., Henson, S., Humphrey, J. and Robinson, E. IDS Evidence Report, No. 28.