Multipurpose trees on farms can improve nutrition in Malawi

Abstract

In low- and middle-income countries, there is growing evidence that trees in landscapes can support healthy diets. Yet, the bulk of this evidence is based on broad-scale associations and thus fails to tease apart the contributions of different types of trees. Here, we examine how the use of on-farm trees for food, income, and fuel relates to micronutrient adequacy (vitamin A, zinc, iron, and folate) and food sourcing patterns in rural Malawi. We used data from socioeconomic, land use, and dietary surveys conducted with 460 women in both the dry and wet seasons. Our results illustrate that, compared to other uses, the use of on-farm trees for food is the most significant determinant of women's micronutrient adequacy across seasons. While this study does not find consistent dietary benefits from using on-farm trees for only fuel and income, our results suggest that multipurpose on-farm trees can support adequate intake of all measured micronutrients.