Impact and Opportunities of Conservation Agriculture on Food and Nutrition Security in Timor-Leste

Abstract

future of sustainable agriculture. The result of the study revealed that CA has had a significant impact on food production and productivity. The analysis shows that the productivity of maize increased by 90% and cassava by 2%. Increases in crop productivity have a positive impact on food security, as more food is available for consumption for the whole year. One of the key benefits of adopting CA for farmers is having less time on the farm and lower workloads compared to conventional farming due to decreases in wedding requirements. The impact of CA on household diet quality is marginal. The study findings indicate that CA adopters do not consume better quality or more diverse diets than non-adopters. The majority of adopters think their diets have not changed since adopting CA and their dietary practices are very poor both in terms of minimum dietary diversity and frequency of protein food intake. In addition, it is not surprising that the research found no impact of CA on nutrition knowledge and related behaviors. The study revealed that there is very poor child-feeding knowledge and that CA adopters do not display a better understanding of nutrition practices. The impact of CA on women's empowerment is positive. In terms of energy expenditure, female adopters have more time to rest due to reduced workloads such as weeding and less time and labor consumption. Most women decide on food purchases and uses of income from crop sales, yet decision-making on health is limited. The majority do not report changes in their community status after implementing CA, despite the benefits of group participation. Based on the result of the study it is recommended that it is important to invest in researching CA approaches that increase staple yields while producing nutrient-rich varieties, such as soybeans, red beans, and peanuts. Considering the nutritional value of legume varieties for both macro and micronutrients, such as protein and iron, is highly recommended. Thus, investing in the nutrition capacity of the CA workforce is needed, and this can be done by facilitating yearly training on Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture (NSA) to all staff involved in implementing CA programs.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56238/methofocusinterv1-072