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Abstract
Over the past decade, donor-funded policies and programs designed to address
undernutrition in the Global South have shifted away from agriculture-based strategies
toward nutrient supplementation and food fortification programs. Given the potential
benefits resulting from agriculture-based nutrition interventions, this study uses Q
methodology to explore the views of a range of stakeholders from both developed and
developing countries on the value of-and constraints related to-gender-sensitive,
nutrition-oriented agricultural projects. The three distinct viewpoints that emerge from
this exercise all support the use of agricultural strategies to improve nutrition and
underline the importance of gender-sensitive approaches. The viewpoints differ,
however, on the relative importance of nutrition education, the strategic use of nutrient
supplementation and food fortification, and the degree to which agriculture-based
approaches have an impact on nutrition. The findings indicate that there is common
ground among a range of stakeholders-donors, researchers, policymakers, and program
practitioners-on the benefits of agriculture and gender-sensitive strategies to improve
nutrition. These areas of agreement can serve as a foundation for forging an effective
integrative strategy to improve nutrition that includes gender-sensitive agricultural
approaches.