The Different Considerations for Food Ration Selection and Distribution Within the Keep Food Markets Working (KFMW) Program: A Mixed-Methods Approach Público
Gonzalez, Tatiana (Spring 2022)
Abstract
Food insecurity and nutritional related diseases are major public health concerns that afflict more than 2 billion people globally. With the onset of COVID-19, it was predicted that rates of food insecurity, malnutrition, and non-communicable diseases (NCD) would increase as a result of on-going COVID-19 regulations regarding quarantines, closures, job losses, and loss of transportation. The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) implemented an international emergency food program known as the Keeping Food Markets Working (KFMW) grant as a response to COVID-19. The KFMW grant provided funding for small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in order for companies to mitigate worsening nutritional status amongst vulnerable populations through the distribution of nutritious food items. The KFMW program was implemented in four target countries (Bangladesh, Kenya, India and Pakistan), funded a total of 14 companies, targeted over 200,0000 beneficiaries and lasted from 2-3 months, depending on the target country.
Emory University was recruited by GAIN to evaluate KFMW’s food grant programming in order to address successes and challenges within the implementation process. This thesis project aims to further evaluate different considerations that went into the food selection process through analyzing qualitative interviews with company representatives. Themes that arose during qualitative analysis included local food availability and affordability, COVID-19’s impact on beneficiary diet, cultural considerations, following GAIN’s dietary and nutritious food guidelines, company perspectives on nutritional content within food items, and company perspectives on KFMW’s impact. Beneficiary surveys were conducted and analyzed to reveal beneficiary perspectives on KFMW’s impact regarding food security, food accessibility and affordability, preferred food distribution methods and KFMW program recommendations.
As a result of KFMW programming, companies reported increased worker motivation and productivity, while beneficiaries reported increased food accessibility and affordability during KFMW implementation. While the KFMW program addressed essential nutritional requirements for beneficiaries, sustained impact of affordability and accessibility of nutritious foods is stunted by the program’s short duration. Future food aid interventions should address increasing duration of food aid programming, include more nutritional training in pairing with nutritious food distribution, and confront affordability restraints for nutritious foods on a local, national, and global level.
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 5
Diet Related Diseases: Malnutrition, Undernutrition, and Chronic Disease 5
Diet Related Diseases by Country 8
India 8
Bangladesh 9
Kenya 10
Pakistan 10
Food Security and Food Systems 10
Workforce Nutrition 14
Impacts on Undernutrition and Iron Deficient Anemia 15
Impact on Diet Related Chronic Diseases 17
Impact on Nutritional Knowledge and Food Security 18
Keeping Food Markets Working (KFMW) 19
CHAPTER 3: METHODS 21
Company Selection: 21
Data Collection: 23
Data Collection Materials: 24
Qualitative Data 24
Quantitative Data 24
Data Analysis: 25
Timeline of Evaluation: 26
Ethical Considerations: 26
CHAPTER 4: RESULTS 27
Qualitative Data 27
COVID-19 Impacts on Diet 27
Food Selection Requirements by GAIN 29
Food Item Selection 31
Food Availability 37
Cultural Considerations 38
Nutritional Trainings 39
Impact of the KFMW Program 40
Quantitative Data 44
Impact of Beneficiaries: Bangladesh 44
Impact of Beneficiaries: Pakistan 46
Impact of Beneficiaries: India 49
Impact of Beneficiaries: Kenya 52
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION 54
Saturation 59
Limitations 59
CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION 59
REFERENCES 62
About this Master's Thesis
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