In most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), conventional agricultural policy promotes specialized production systems of carbohydrate-rich crops to address hunger and food insecurity. For rural populations, however, increased landscape uniformity can reduce both agrobiodiversity and wild biodiversity, which can contribute to diet uniformity. Although maintaining diversity in and around agricultural systems is far from a new approach, there is growing empirical attention on the contribution of trees on/around farms to dietary quality. While recent research suggests that forests can contribute to improved diets, there is only emerging evidence on how incorporating trees into farming systems not only benefits nature but also positively affects the diets of rural households.

Authors: Vansant, E.C.; Mausch, K.; Ickowitz, A.; McMullin, S.; Karanja, A.; Rasmussen, L.V.

Subjects: farming systems, dietary intake, food quality, developing countries, rural development, household income, literature reviews

Publication type: ISI, Journal Article, Publication

Year: 2022

ISSN: 2575-8314

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10306