Food and Nutrition Security
Systems-Level Impact Findings in Bangladesh, Laos, Malawi, and Nepal
This summary examines five CARE examples that produced systems-level change in Laos and Nepal, and traces U.S. policy to improving people’s lives in Bangladesh and Malawi. Across five contexts, external consultants assessed CARE’s systems-level change contributions and impact using CARE’s Systems Level Impact (SLI) framework and its six pathways to impact at scale: supporting and advancing social norms change, service system strengthening and social accountability, supporting social movements, inclusive market-based approaches, and advocacy for policy change.
Some key patterns are evident especially in relation to policy, social norms transformation, accountability structures, and institutional adoption. Read More...
Some key patterns are evident especially in relation to policy, social norms transformation, accountability structures, and institutional adoption. Read More...
Fill the Nutrition Gap (FNGAP) Impact Assessment Report Kyaka II, Kyegegwa District
This document is an impact assessment report for the Fill the Nutrition Gap (FNGAP 1) project, which was implemented in the Kyaka II refugee settlement in Uganda. The project, carried out by CARE and JESE from January 2023 to June 2024, aimed to improve nutrition, resilience, and income generation among vulnerable households, particularly focusing on women and children. The report evaluates the project’s effectiveness through mixed-methods data collection, including household surveys, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews. The findings highlight significant improvements in food security, child feeding practices, and household income, with notable shifts in gender dynamics. However, the report also identifies ongoing challenges, such as crop diseases and water scarcity, and offers recommendations for strengthening the project’s impact, including enhanced agricultural support, financial empowerment, and community engagement. The document provides valuable lessons for future nutrition and food security interventions in similar contexts. Read More...
Evaluation of the CASCADE Programme in Uganda
This paper introduces and evaluates the CASCADE programme, a joint initiative by GAIN and CARE, supported by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aimed at improving food security and reducing malnutrition for women of reproductive age (WRA) and children in six Sub-Saharan African countries. Running from June 2022 to December 2026, the programme seeks to enhance access to and consumption of healthy diets while increasing resilience to nutritional shocks, particularly for vulnerable populations in Uganda. The baseline report outlines the programme’s objectives, theory of change, research methodology, and initial findings, focusing on community and household-level interventions in domains 3 (community structures) and 4 (women's empowerment in nutrition and climate-resilient practices). It highlights the critical challenges of malnutrition, food insecurity, and the socio-economic and environmental factors influencing dietary outcomes, providing a foundation to guide implementation and measure impact.
Page Count: 110 Read More...
Page Count: 110 Read More...
End Of Project Evaluation Report For Emergency Food Assistance in Nakivale Project, Isingiro District
The Emergency Food Assistance in Nakivale (EFAN) project aimed to address the food security needs of vulnerable refugees in Nakivale settlement, Uganda, through a food voucher system. This project, running from November 2023 to October 2024, focused on groups such as pregnant and lactating women, children under two years, and child-headed households. The evaluation assessed the project’s relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact, and sustainability. Results showed significant improvements in food security, nutrition, and economic well-being, with 97.1% of beneficiaries reporting better meal frequency. However, challenges such as inadequate support for larger households and exclusion of older refugees were identified. The evaluation concluded with recommendations for expanding targeting criteria, extending project timelines, and integrating additional support to enhance long-term sustainability and resilience for refugees and host communities. Read More...
Baseline Report Evaluation of the CASCADE Programme in Uganda
The Global Alliance for Advanced Nutrition (GAIN) and CARE, with support from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, developed the CAtalyzing Strengthened policy aCtion for heAlthy Diets and resilience (CASCADE) programme application. The overarching goal of CASCADE is to improve food security and reduce malnutrition for at least 5 million women of reproductive age (WRA) and children in Benin, Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia,
and Mozambique between June 2022 and December 2026. AIR® partnered with GAIN and CARE to design and conduct rigorous mixed methods impact evaluations of the CASCADE programme in the six target countries. The evaluations will answer questions about CASCADE’s causal impact, strengths, and challenges. The impact evaluation focuses on those aspects of the programme that are implemented at the beneficiary level. The evaluation team will also conduct, in 2027, a process evaluation to assess policy and systems-level change as well as implementation fidelity with support from local country teams.
The primary purpose of this baseline report is to document and describe the study sample in Uganda prior to the start of the programme, and to test for equivalence at baseline between the treatment and comparison groups. This report first explains the context, details, and motivation behind the CASCADE programme. Subsequently, it explains the theory of change (ToC), research questions, study design, baseline data collection, sample description, baseline measures of key indicators and domains, and baseline equivalence between the treatment and comparison groups. Lastly, the report provides insights about the nutritional status at baseline of the target population and identifies key areas to guide activities by the programme implementation team. Read More...
and Mozambique between June 2022 and December 2026. AIR® partnered with GAIN and CARE to design and conduct rigorous mixed methods impact evaluations of the CASCADE programme in the six target countries. The evaluations will answer questions about CASCADE’s causal impact, strengths, and challenges. The impact evaluation focuses on those aspects of the programme that are implemented at the beneficiary level. The evaluation team will also conduct, in 2027, a process evaluation to assess policy and systems-level change as well as implementation fidelity with support from local country teams.
The primary purpose of this baseline report is to document and describe the study sample in Uganda prior to the start of the programme, and to test for equivalence at baseline between the treatment and comparison groups. This report first explains the context, details, and motivation behind the CASCADE programme. Subsequently, it explains the theory of change (ToC), research questions, study design, baseline data collection, sample description, baseline measures of key indicators and domains, and baseline equivalence between the treatment and comparison groups. Lastly, the report provides insights about the nutritional status at baseline of the target population and identifies key areas to guide activities by the programme implementation team. Read More...
Systems-Level Impact through the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill
In a global context of rising numbers of people affected by increasingly frequent and severe food security crises, CARE advocated for essential amendments in the 2018 Farm Bill to strengthen critical international food aid programs. CARE's advocacy for the 2018 Farm Bill was rooted in its focus on gender equality and systems change, which in this case meant advocating for a shift away from monetization in support of CARE’s long-term goals for transforming food aid from a commodity-centric model to one that enhances effectiveness, efficiency, and focus on systems change.
Central to CARE’s asks in the 2018 Farm Bill were efforts to end the mandate of monetization and provide greater certainty in the use of the Community Development Funds. Both of these asks would strengthen Food for Peace, a program authorized in the Farm Bill that provides in-kind food aid directly to communities and supports community self-sufficiency. CARE recognized the 2018 Farm Bill reforms, including ending mandatory monetization and expanding Community Development Funds, could strengthen local food systems, empower farmers, and build community resilience by prioritizing sustainable and effective food aid delivery. Read More...
Central to CARE’s asks in the 2018 Farm Bill were efforts to end the mandate of monetization and provide greater certainty in the use of the Community Development Funds. Both of these asks would strengthen Food for Peace, a program authorized in the Farm Bill that provides in-kind food aid directly to communities and supports community self-sufficiency. CARE recognized the 2018 Farm Bill reforms, including ending mandatory monetization and expanding Community Development Funds, could strengthen local food systems, empower farmers, and build community resilience by prioritizing sustainable and effective food aid delivery. Read More...
System Level Impact Evaluation Report on Categorization-based Farmer ID (FID) System in Nepal
This report highlights CARE's transformative initiatives through the Farmer Identity (FID) Card system, which significantly benefitted landless individuals, women, persons with disabilities, Dalits, Janajatis, and other marginalized groups in Nepal. Conducted from May to June 2024, the comprehensive impact evaluation utilized a participatory approach and contribution analysis to assess the impacts of the FID system. Key findings illustrate how the FID Card system has been integrated into local and federal agriculture policies, enhancing access to services for marginalized farmers and empowering communities. The report details the significant changes in agriculture policy, improved accountability, reduced discrimination, and enhanced social norms resulting from the intervention. The evaluation also identifies challenges and sustainability factors, providing actionable recommendations for future advocacy and implementation strategies.
Total Page Count: 67 Read More...
Total Page Count: 67 Read More...
PSNP and Sustainable Land Management in Ethiopia: A Formative Qualitative Investigation
The SPIR II project is designed to enhance food security, livelihoods, and climate resilience for vulnerable households in Ethiopia. This research study, commissioned by World Vision, presents the findings of a qualitative investigation into the role of the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) in promoting sustainable land management (SLM) practices in the Amhara and Oromia regions. CARE, as a key partner in the project consortium, contributes to the delivery of this initiative. The study examines the implementation of SLM on both public and private lands, highlighting the benefits, challenges, and gender dynamics involved. The findings reveal that while PSNP-supported SLM practices provide significant benefits, barriers such as gender-specific constraints and resource limitations hinder broader participation and impact.
Page Count: 7
Partners: World Vision, CARE, The Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara, and IFPRI Read More...
Page Count: 7
Partners: World Vision, CARE, The Organization for Rehabilitation and Development in Amhara, and IFPRI Read More...
McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program in Timor-Leste HATUTAN Sustainability Study Liquica
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has supported Timor-Leste through the McGovern-Dole Food for Education and Child Nutrition Initiative since 2018. The McGovern-Dole funded Hahán ne’ebé Atu fó Tulun ho Nutrisaun no Edukasaun/ Food to Support Nutrition and Education program – HATUTAN - supported 455 schools and surrounding communities in four of Timor-Leste’s most disadvantaged municipalities: Ainaro, Ermera, Liquica, and Manatuto. Between 2018 and 2023, HATUTAN reached 431,244 students, out of whom 109,065 received school meals.
HATUTAN’s final evaluation show that the integrated intervention has achieved remarkable results, including:
-A gain of 4.8 percentage points in literacy scores, over and above the comparison group.
-A major reduction in teachers’ use of traditional practices: the proportion of students who spent the class copying from the board declined by 15 percentage points over and above the comparison group, while the proportion of students repeating after the teacher declined by 25 percentage points; and
- A major improvement in infant feeding practices, reducing by 13.6 percentage points in the proportion of mothers feeding formula to babies under six months of age.
In 2023, the schools14 in the municipality of Liquica – 101 in total, out of which 35 receiving the full intervention15 - graduated out of the program following demonstrated improvements in school management, SFP delivery, increased use of participatory teaching practices and reduction in negative teaching practices, and improvements in hygiene and sanitation. Among other results, the final evaluation showed that 91% of the schools in Liquica had reading corners in grade 2, compared to HATUTAN’s 65% average; the average attendance rate reached 78%, compared to a 64% average; and teacher attendance rate reached 85%. The second phase of the program has continued to support schools in Ainaro, Ermera, and Manatuto since 2023, and expanded operations to Oé-cusse in 2024. Read More...
HATUTAN’s final evaluation show that the integrated intervention has achieved remarkable results, including:
-A gain of 4.8 percentage points in literacy scores, over and above the comparison group.
-A major reduction in teachers’ use of traditional practices: the proportion of students who spent the class copying from the board declined by 15 percentage points over and above the comparison group, while the proportion of students repeating after the teacher declined by 25 percentage points; and
- A major improvement in infant feeding practices, reducing by 13.6 percentage points in the proportion of mothers feeding formula to babies under six months of age.
In 2023, the schools14 in the municipality of Liquica – 101 in total, out of which 35 receiving the full intervention15 - graduated out of the program following demonstrated improvements in school management, SFP delivery, increased use of participatory teaching practices and reduction in negative teaching practices, and improvements in hygiene and sanitation. Among other results, the final evaluation showed that 91% of the schools in Liquica had reading corners in grade 2, compared to HATUTAN’s 65% average; the average attendance rate reached 78%, compared to a 64% average; and teacher attendance rate reached 85%. The second phase of the program has continued to support schools in Ainaro, Ermera, and Manatuto since 2023, and expanded operations to Oé-cusse in 2024. Read More...