Adoption and Impact of Agriculture Diversification Initiatives in the Millennium Villages.

The Millennium Villages Project (MVP) is a rural development and research initiative aimed at achieving the Millennium Development Goals.  Currently, the MVP is implemented in 14 clusters throughout distinct African agro-ecological zones in a total of 10 countries: Ethiopia, Nigeria, Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, Senegal, Mali, Tanzania, Malawi, and Uganda.

Agriculture is at the core of the MVP model and agricultural interventions are targeted at halving hunger and poverty (MDG1), improving gender equality (MDG3) and ensuring environmental sustainability (MDG7). In addition to increasing agricultural production for food security as the initial priority, the agriculture strategy includes promotion of crop and livestock diversification alongside integrated soil management practices, nutrition education, agro-processing and business development. 

This study assesses the extent and impact of MVP crop and livestock diversification initiatives on household and community nutrition, income and adaptability to shocks (e.g. droughts, market price fluctuations) and identifies factors that have contributed to or limited the success of these initiatives. The study methodology includes a combination of quantitative and qualitative data, collected through interviews with MVP staff, farmers and community focus group discussions. Research findings help guide MVP activities and scaling-up and contribute to a multisectorial analysis across the different MV sites.