The Effect of Agricultural Production Diversification on Dietary Diversity: A Case Study of Cambodia

Abstract

Dietary diversity is often emphasized as the primary way to treat micro-nutrition deficiencies, called hidden hunger. Farm production diversification can positively affect the diversity of household diets. This study uses cross-sectional data from the Cambodia Socio-Economic Survey to find the impacts of farm production diversification on household dietary diversity. The Food Consumption Score is measured as an indicator of dietary diversity, and the Simpson Index is calculated as an indicator of production diversification. The results show that farm production diversification positively affects dietary diversity by about 1.385 (0.13 Standard Deviations) on average, especially for farmers who have cultivated 1-2 ha of land by 3.193 (0.29 SDs). Besides, production diversification in the plain zone, where the average income is higher than in other regions, significantly affects dietary diversity. In addition, total expenditure is positively associated with dietary diversity. Furthermore, market accessibility and the percentage of food purchased significantly impact a diverse diet by 8.34 (0.75 SDs) and 6.97 (0.63 SDs), respectively. Overall results indicate that policies related to providing access to the market, enabling households to purchase food in rural areas, and agricultural production diversification are meaningful in enhancing household dietary diversity in rural Cambodia.