Changes in Women’s Minimum Dietary Diversity through High-Value Fruits and Crops Farming: Evidence from the RMTP Baseline, Endline and Control Group Evaluation in Mirsarai, Sitakunda and Hathazari Upazilas, Chattogram, Bangladesh

Abstract:

Adequate dietary diversity is a critical determinant of maternal health, micronutrient adequacy and intergenerational nutritional status in low and middle income countries. Agricultural commercialization through high-value crops offers a strategic pathway to alleviate household food insecurity and enhance women's nutritional outcomes. This study evaluates the empirical impact of the “High-Value Fruit and Crops Varieties Extension and Marketing Sub-Project” on the Minimum Dietary Diversity for Women (MDD-W) in Chattogram, Bangladesh. A cross sectional comparative endline assessment was conducted involving N=433 households (361 beneficiaries in Mirsarai and Sitakunda upazilas; 72 control group households in Hathazari upazila). Dietary intake among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) was assessed using a 24-hour recall tool covering 10 defined food groups following FAO/INDDEX guidelines. Endline data revealed a substantial progression in dietary diversity among the treatment group. Among direct female respondents, 69.86% of women in the beneficiary group achieved the minimum dietary diversity threshold (MDD-W≤5), compared to only 33.33% in the control group. Factoring in proxy household data, 91.69% of the total beneficiary sample achieved adequate dietary diversity, juxtaposed against 19.44% to 25.00% across varied demographic subsets in the control group. Severe disparities emerged in specific food group consumption; 99.72% of beneficiaries consumed meat, poultry and fish compared to 40.28% in the control group, while pulse consumption reached 100% for beneficiaries versus 34.72% for the control. Despite wealth driven shifts toward proteins and lipids, dairy and vitamin A rich fruits consumption remained critically low across both cohorts. Marital status exhibited a statistically significant association with meeting the MDD-W threshold in both the beneficiary (p=0.041) and control (p=0.043) populations. The transition from subsistence farming to high-value, market oriented agriculture significantly elevates women's dietary diversity, primarily by facilitating the purchase of expensive animal source proteins and fats. However, structural dietary blind spots persist, indicating that agricultural income generation must be explicitly paired with behavioral change communication to achieve holistic micronutrient adequacy.