Agroecological pathways to nutrition
Does agroecological transition automatically translate to better diets? Evidence from smallholder farmers in Vihiga County, Kenya
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23311831 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Céline Termote (0000-0003-3217-0226, Bioversity International, corresponding author), Tosin H Akingbemisilu (0000-0002-0556-9955, International Center for Tropical Agriculture), Emeline Clotuche (Ghent University Hospital), Lillian Aluso (International Center for Tropical Agriculture), Rosina Wanyama (0000-0002-1744-0315, International Center for Tropical Agriculture), Remi Cluset (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), Carl Lachat (0000-0002-1389-8855, Ghent University Hospital) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-32 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-22 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2168-3565 • E-ISSN: 2168-3573 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/21683565.2026.2702607 |
| OpenAlex | W7170090855 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 60 |
Despite growing evidence supporting the positive impact of agroecology on economy, environment, and society, evidence on dietary influence remains limited. This study assesses how household-level agroecological practices link with dietary outcomes in Vihiga County, Kenya. Agroecology was assessed using the Tool for Agroecology Performance Evaluation (TAPE) on a random sample of 239 households across 14 sublocations. Diets were assessed through a 24-hour dietary recall. Analyses included mixed-effect regressions, moderation/mediation tests, and structural equation modeling. Overall, adoption of agroecological practices showed no association with dietary outcomes, but agroecological diversity practices positively correlated with dietary diversity and dietary species richness. Practices related to the synergies dimension were negatively associated with dietary diversity, while “culture and food traditions” practices were positively associated with global dietary recommendations. Education moderated agroecological diversity’s relationship with diets, with stronger benefits for lower-educated households. Higher food expenditure weakened agroecology’s relationship with dietary species richness and diversity. Findings underscore the complexity of translating agroecological practices into improved dietary outcomes. Addressing systemic barriers and supportive public policies are key to ensuring agroecology delivers on its promise as driver of sustainable, nutrition-sensitive food-systems transformation. Future research should explore how socio-economic dynamics, markets, food environment and household decision-making influence pathways from agroecology to nutrition.
Agribusiness · Agroecology · Dietary diversity · Diversity (politics) · Empirical evidence · Food systems · Sustainable agriculture · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development · Urban Agriculture and Sustainability
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| Highly cited | No |
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