Small-scale egg and orange-fleshed sweet potato production and utilisation in selected communities in Ghana: A mixed-methods study

Abstract

Background Nutrition-related exposures during the first 1,000 days of life are a predictor of health outcomes later in life. World Vision Ghana’s ‘Improved Feeding Practices for the 1,000 days’ (IFP) project aimed to improve the dietary practices of women and children by utilising an integrated intervention approach including nutrition, health, and agriculture strategies. Objective This paper reports on the production and utilization of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) and eggs for improving the diets of women of reproductive age and young children during the first 1,000 days of life. Methods Primary data from Kassena-Nankana West (KNW), Sekyere East (SE) and Kintampo South (KS) districts were triangulated with project routine data for this analysis. Univariate analyses of quantitative data from baseline and implementation monitoring data were conducted to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of beneficiaries, inputs disbursed, outputs produced, and utilization of the food commodities. Qualitative interviews from 61 participants were transcribed, coded, and thematically analyzed; these were triangulated with quantitative data to capture the main themes and findings. Results OFSP and egg production and consumption increased annually across beneficiary communities. In 2021, 100% of OFSP produced was consumed in KS; in SE, 95.0% was consumed and 5.0% lost to post-harvest losses. In 2022, 90% of OFSP produced in KNW was consumed and 9.0% was sold. In KS, 90.3% was consumed and 9.0% sold. In SE, 82.3% was consumed and 17.1% sold. Egg production at the end of the first production year (2022) was 18,720 crates in KNW, 19,680 crates in KS, and 40,128 crates in SE. Egg consumption in sample households was less than 10% in 2022 and showed a decreased trend in the first half of 2023. In SE and KS, egg and OFSP production, respectively, increased, exponentially; sale for income was the most common mode of utilization in eggs but OFSP was consumed in these districts. In KNW, climate, irrigation, and socio-cultural barriers hindered the maximal production and utility of the produce, which was not observed in SE and KS, which did not have any of these identified barriers. Reported unintended benefits of production and utilization included increased household income, food security, and availability of organic manure as a side-product of poultry. Conclusions The IFP project resulted in increased household-level production, use, and distribution of Eggs and OFSP across the three focal districts. Similar settings may benefit from this intervention by adapting the strategies to make it easier for beneficiaries to better cope with likely potential barriers such as poultry mortality and water scarcity.