An upcoming rapid evidence assessment of the effects of information, capacity strengthening, and behaviour change interventions
The global situation on food security and nutrition is alarming. According to FAO’s 2024 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, one out of eleven people in the world faced hunger in 2023. The United Nations report on the global progress towards the Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) shows the highest rates of stagnation and regression for SDG 2: Zero Hunger and offers a glooming outlook: no country is expected to achieve SDG 2 by 2030. This is especially true for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where the Global Hunger Index (GHI) scores are persistently among the highest levels of hunger. To make better progress in fulfilling the right to food, stakeholders need more evidence to understand what works to tackle the main drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition in the region. Our forthcoming synthesis will contribute to this effort and focus on the effects of information, capacity strengthening, and behaviour change interventions across actors of SSA’s food system. This synthesis will contribute to a study by the German Institute for Development Evaluation (DEval).
Climate change and environmental vulnerability: key drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition
Next to conflict and fragility, climate change, environmental risks, and humanitarian crises are among the most significant drivers of food insecurity and malnutrition in SSA. Over 96% of food production relies on rain for irrigation. As a result, the region is especially vulnerable to climate change and its adverse consequences (e.g., floods, droughts, heat waves, etc.). These also worsen socio-economic inequality by disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups such as women, children, and rural communities.
Despite efforts across the food system to support the supply chain, food environment, and consumer behaviour, moderate or severe food insecurity affected 868 million people across Africa in 2022. In the same year, 30% of the children under five were affected by malnutrition.
This trend may be reversed by building resilient food systems that can withstand and mitigate the consequences of climate change and environment-related shocks. In this effort, the ability of food systems actors (e.g., producers, distributors, processors, institutions, consumers) to effectively use resources, adopt new practices, and implement processes to enhance resilience may create pathways for change.
Filling the gap: the effects of information, capacity strengthening and behaviour change interventions.
Our review will analyse the effect of information, capacity strengthening and behaviour change interventions targeting food system actors in SSA. These include developing tailored messages, approaches, capacity-strengthening activities, and training to promote sustainable practices and behaviour change across all actors within the food system, including producers and consumers.
These interventions are important to realise the fundamental human right to adequate food. They can empower rightsholders and duty-bearers within the food system to achieve the necessary changes. They have the potential to drive longer-term change in knowledge, attitudes and practices toward a climate-resilient food system. This in turn can contribute to improved food security and nutrition outcomes.
We will assess how these interventions contribute to food security and nutrition improvements across the six dimensions of food security and nutrition.
Building on 3ie’s living FSN evidence and gap map (EGM), which includes 2,979 impact evaluations and 239 systematic reviews, there are 64 studies analysing the effect of information, capacity strengthening, and behaviour change interventions on food security and nutrition measures in SSA. These studies have not yet been synthesised to measure their effects in the region.
Rapid evidence and next steps
To fill this synthesis gap, our rapid evidence assessment (REA) will use a mixed-methods approach, building on the existing 3ie FSN E&GM. This will provide timely evidence on the effectiveness of information, capacity strengthening, and behaviour change interventions. Quantitative evidence will come directly from our E&GM, and we will conduct an additional search for qualitative evidence on the included programmes to analyse context factors, needs and opportunities (see protocol).
This REA will feed into a study by DEval, which aims to provide strategically relevant evidence for development policymakers and practitioners to maximise the effects of development interventions on food security and nutrition outcomes. Our study will zoom in on potential implications for German development cooperation, connecting the REA findings, where appropriate, to an analysis of the food security and nutrition portfolio implemented by its responsible ministry (BMZ).
As we extract and analyse data from the studies, we would appreciate your suggestions on any additional insights from SSA’s food systems, information, capacity strengthening, and behaviour change, and/or environmental resilience sectors. You can leave a comment below or write to info@3ieimpact.org if you wish to join our REA project advisory group or a mailing list to receive updates regarding this project.
