Agrobiodiversity Use for Better Diet Quality: A Community-Based, Participatory Approach Case from Western Kenya

Abstract Small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa face malnutrition and a low level of dietary diversity despite often living in areas endowed with high agrobiodiversity. In Western Kenya (Vihiga County), malnutrition occurs despite it being a highly biodiverse area with several options for diversifying diets. The main purpose of this thesis is to assess the potential of biodiversity to improve diet quality in a sample from Vihiga County1. We approached this objective using a variety of indicators which were retrieved by (i) a correlation study on the association of agrobiodiversity with diet quality, (ii) an intervention study on the effectiveness of a participatory approach to improving diet quality through agrobiodiversity use, (iii) a qualitative study following up on the intervention study by exploring pathways to improving diets and (iv) a literature review on dietary assessment methods for neglected underutilised species (nus). This thesis highlights the importance of studying the full scope of agrobiodiversity, including on-farm biodiversity, food consumption, perceptions and pathways to diverse diets. Nutrition must be seen in the context of ecosystems that determine our agriculture and nutrition in the long term. The transition to more sustainable and equitable food systems requires greater participation from the people who produce our food and nurture biodiversity.