Digitalisation in the WFP fresh food voucher programme: a pilot study from rural Amhara region, Ethiopia
Digitalisation in the WFP fresh food voucher programme: a pilot study from rural Amhara region, Ethiopia
Malnutrition continues to pose a major challenge to human well-being around the world. In Ethiopia, 39% of children <5 years are stunted, with peaks in northern regions of the country such as Amhara (54.8%). Very few (2%) children in the region achieve the minimum dietary diversity and only a minority (27%) belong to households that can afford a nutritious diet. To tackle the high stunting rate, diets high in fruits and vegetables are widely recommended to improve dietary diversity. Programmes leveraging fresh food vouchers can be used to support vulnerable groups with malnutrition and limited affordability. Cash-based transfer (CBT) programmes have repeatedly been shown to improve child growth and increase household food security and dietary diversity. This study is part of the World Food Programme (WFP) intervention regarding a stunting reduction rural programme of restricted CBT for improving dietary diversity in households with children under 2 years of age and pregnant and lactating women.