Smallholders Leading in Dietary Diversity: Approaches and Case Studies from IFAD’s Investments

Session : The presentation covers the approaches used by IFAD to support smallholder farmers and the most nutritionally vulnerable to achieve dietary diversity. This includes efforts to increase production, access to markets, and consumption of nutrient dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, bio-fortification, leguminous crops, NUS, animal sourced foods, fish, milk among others. It also covers case studies of two projects supported by IFAD, promoting nutrient dense crops (yet to be selected but could include crops such as moringa, millets or pulses).

Presenter : Joyce Njoro, is the Lead Technical Specialist – Nutrition and Social Inclusion at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). She leads the organizations work on integrating nutrition in agricultural and rural development investments targeting smallholder producers. She provides technical leadership on program designs and implementation, IFAD’s policy engagement, building capacity of implementing partners, partnerships, evidence generation and knowledge management. Joyce has extensive experience in multi-sectoral nutrition governance; designing frameworks and policies, multi-sectoral coordination, and mainstreaming of nutrition in key sectors especially; Health, Agriculture and Education. She also has immense experience in rural development and community based approaches. Prior to joining IFAD, she worked in various capacities at global, regional and country level for the Renewed Efforts Against Child Hunger (REACH). She has also worked for several regional and international NGOs. She started her career as a field veterinarian and later as a trainer in animal health for the Government of Kenya.

Joyce holds a Masters in Rural Sociology and Community Development and a Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine degree, both from the University of Nairobi.