Assessing the Effect of Irrigation Agriculture on Nutrition Outcomes in Under-Five Children of Malawi

The study assessed the effect of irrigation agriculture on nutrition outcomes for children under five in Malawi, using data from the Integrated Household Survey (IHS5). A negative binomial regression model assessed dietary diversity determinants, while a multivariate Probit model with Conditional Mixed Process (CMP) analyzed irrigation’s effects on stunting, wasting, and underweight. The findings revealed that Irrigation improved under-five dietary diversity and raised crop revenue by MWK59,464.86 compared to non-participants but did not significantly reduce stunting. The results underscored the importance of educating households on the complexities of irrigation agriculture as a nutrition-sensitive intervention. The study highlighted the association between irrigation and short-term nutritional issues like underweight, despite lacking direct impact on chronic malnutrition. It emphasized educating households on irrigation’s complexities as a nutrition-sensitive intervention and investing in female education to improve dietary decision-making. The study recommended promotion of Irrigation Agriculture with complementary interventions: policymakers should integrate irrigation programs with health interventions such as nutrition education (so that households balance irrigation investment and childcare responsibility) to address malnutrition comprehensively. The findings advocated integrated strategies combining irrigation, education, and social cash transfers to enhance food security and nutrition outcomes for Malawi’s under-five children.