Studies by EfD Tanzania researchers highlight how rising food prices and gender inequalities are shaping household nutrition outcomes in rural Tanzania. The findings contribute to ongoing policy discussions on how food systems, markets, and gender-sensitive interventions can better support dietary diversity and food security among rural households.
A policy workshop hosted by the Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre (TFNC) on 08 January brought together researchers and policy stakeholders to discuss new evidence on the links between food prices, gender dynamics, and household nutrition in rural Tanzania. The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Germana Leyna, Director of TFNC, and Ms. Debora Charwe, Director of Policy, Planning, and Nutrition at TFNC, and featured research from EfD Tanzania.
Gender inequalities worsen food insecurity
Presentations by Dr. Martin Chegere, Director of EfD Tanzania and Senior Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, and Ms. Doris Macha, Assistant Lecturer, showed how rising food costs and gendered pathways shape dietary diversity and nutrition outcomes. The findings show that increasing food prices put pressure on rural household diets, where access to affordable and nutritious foods is already limited. These pressures are worsened by gender inequalities in access to land, income, and productive assets. While women largely manage food preparation and dietary choices, their limited control over resources constrains their ability to act on these responsibilities.
Need for inclusive policies
Policy discussions emphasized that improving nutrition requires integrated, gender-sensitive responses that address both market constraints and the dynamics within households. Participants agreed on a package of mutually reinforcing policy recommendations. These include promoting guided on-farm diversification toward nutritious crops and small livestock to support household consumption; strengthening nutrition education for both women and men; and introducing poultry or horticulture contracts tied to household dietary diversity score to reduce pressure on households to sell all their nutritious produce. Discussions also highlighted the need to strengthen rural food markets and infrastructure to lower the cost of healthy foods, support women’s control over income and production choices, and integrate nutrition objectives into agricultural extension services.
The workshop concluded with a shared resolution calling for strong multi-sectoral collaboration among agriculture, health, market, and gender actors to translate evidence into effective, inclusive policies that benefit nutrition in rural Tanzania.