Implementing climate-smart vegetable gardening at schools positively influenced students' nutritional knowledge: Roundtable
The Joint Action for Nutrition Outcome (JANO) project, running from 1 September 2018 to 30 June 2024, aims to combat malnutrition among children under five, pregnant and lactating women (PLW), and adolescent girls in the Nilphamari and Rangpur districts.
Funded by the European Union (EU) and co-founded by Austrian Development Cooperation, the project is managed by a consortium led by CARE Bangladesh, in collaboration with Plan International Bangladesh and the Eco-Social Development Organisation (ESDO).
JANO seeks to implement the 2nd National Plan of Action for Nutrition (NPAN-2) through a multisectoral approach, focusing on improving maternal and child nutrition and strengthening nutritional governance. The project targets seven upazilas across the two districts, covering 64 unions and working in 331 schools.
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One of the most important interventions of the JANO project is the climate-smart vegetable garden at the school level. These climate-smart vegetable gardens have become popular among students, who are now creating similar gardens at home. These gardens not only educate adolescents in gardening techniques, the cultivation process, and cooking methods but also empower them to share their knowledge with their families, thereby improving household nutrition.
Experts view this initiative as pivotal, advocating for its nationwide adoption in collaboration with national-level stakeholders to equip students with essential skills and knowledge. Such interventions are seen as instrumental in combating nutrient deficiencies prevalent in Bangladesh.
The JANO project conducted research to evaluate the practical impact of climate-smart vegetable gardens and nutrition-focused cooking demonstrations on dietary choices and nutritional outcomes in real-life settings. The findings were shared through a roundtable titled "Assessing the Impact of Climate-Smart Vegetable Gardens and Nutrition-Focused Cooking Demonstrations on Student Household Practices and Nutritional Outcomes" was convened at The Business Standard conference room on 12 June.
Zahid Newaz Khan, head of digital at TBS, facilitated the session, which gathered insights from project stakeholders.
Insights from stakeholders
Nishath Sultana, director of Policy, Advocacy, Influencing, and Campaign at Plan International Bangladesh, thanked the distinguished experts for attending. She reflected on Plan Bangladesh's 30-year journey and its commitment to education, health, and youth development.
She praised the JANO project's success in extending school gardening into household courtyards and its impact on changing traditional attitudes toward cooking and nutrition.
She said, "Through this project, we've not only involved students in the vegetable gardening process but also cooking demonstrations for their practical knowledge of preparing nutrient foods."
She added, "JANO project focused on the underserved districts of Rangpur and Nilphamari, comprising seven upazilas. The project established 331 school gardens, which were later replicated by students to 4,056 gardens in their households. Both boys and girls participated in this initiative."
Pongkaj Moy Tripura, project manager of the JANO Project at Plan International Bangladesh, presented a video documentation, highlighting the project's objectives and school interventions of the project.
He mentioned that the JANO project is working with the collaborations of the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council (BNNC) in coordination with 22 government ministries and departments.
He said, "The main objective of this project is to contribute to ending malnutrition of children under five years of age, together with addressing the nutritional needs of Pregnant and Lactating Women (PLW) and adolescent girls."
He added, "With the guidance of the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council (BNNC) the project was implemented to achieve its four expected results. One of the expected results was to focus on the introduction of Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and adolescent nutrition outcomes."
This project introduced the students to how to utilise limited land to produce multiple nutrient vegetables following the Kalikapur model, he said.
Farhana Afrose Jahan, associate director at nSearch Limited, presented the research findings at the roundtable discussion. The study was conducted on the students involved in this project, including interviews with 840 students (girls and boys) and their parents/caregivers from two districts, 14 FGD, 16 IDI, and 5 KII with head teachers, nutrition experts, Govt. officials and school management committee members. The study revealed that 98.4% of the interviewed students started their home garden after being inspired by their school garden.
Around 60% of the participants in this study were girls, and 40% were boys. Although 98.7% of students reported that they could learn from cooking demonstrations at school. Additionally, 91.9% of students who worked on climate-smart gardens at school discussed family gardening and the nutritional value of these foods with their families at home. 94.9% of the interviewed parents affirmed that their family's food consumption pattern changed after home gardening.
She added, "The project significantly influenced students' food consumption habits, according to feedback from parents and caregivers, who observed increased access to and consumption of vegetables from their gardens. Overall, there was a notable rise in vegetable consumption and regularity."
Professor Dr AQM Shafiul Azam, director of the Planning and Development Wing at the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), discussed the role of education boards and ministries in implementing project findings at the field level.
He said, "From this project, students learn about climate and acquire skills in climate-smart gardening. This initiative of the JANO Project also makes students health-conscious, enabling them to overcome social taboos on their own."
"Education should go beyond knowledge alone; experiential learning is a key aspect of our curriculum. It's important to remember our agricultural roots and prepare for an unpredictable global climate. Ultimately, we aim to nurture global and smart citizens in Bangladesh," he said.
Highlighting the importance of lifelong learning and skill development to address the challenges of the 21st century, he said "Previously, we believed that education was about memorising what teachers said. Knowledge was the only focus. Now, skills, values, and attitudes have been integrated into the current curriculum and require us to learn, unlearn, and relearn."
Bidhan Krishna Sarker, associate scientist at icddr,b, commended the project's approach to nutrition-sensitive agriculture and highlighted its implications for both nutrition and agricultural sectors working together.
He emphasised the findings related to changing food norms, particularly noting that boys' participation in cooking demonstrations signifies a positive shift in traditional gender roles within society.
Bidhan stressed the importance of ongoing research to track indicators such as stunting, underweight, and malnutrition rates among the project's targeted population.
He pointed out that while collaboration across 22 ministries and departments presents challenges, aligning efforts among departments of nutrition, agriculture, food, and health can yield significant outcomes.
Looking ahead, Bidhan underscored the need to focus on seed availability and urban settings to ensure the broader impact and sustainability of the project.
SM Faridul Haque, Gender and Youth Inclusion Specialist at IFDC Asia, Bangladesh, highlighted the gender dynamics observed in the JANO project. He noted that while many similar initiatives predominantly focus on women, JANO has successfully engaged a significant number of men, thus promoting gender balance. This initiative has helped reduce the burden of unpaid care work on women.
Faridul pointed out that in typical family structures, where men often hold decision-making power, their involvement in nutrition education can amplify its impact within households.
He acknowledged the project's findings that boys sometimes encounter challenges in cooking demonstrations, while girls may find gardening difficult. Faridul suggested addressing these gender-specific hurdles to maximise participation and impact.
He emphasised the importance of understanding parental perceptions regarding their children's involvement in such initiatives, advocating for strategies to overcome gender biases effectively.
Dr Sufia Khanom, senior research fellow at the Bangladesh Institute for International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), focused on the project's implications for climate change adaptation and policy integration.
She underscored the importance of assessing how climate-smart agriculture practices align with local climate vulnerabilities and national adaptation plans.
Dr Sufia recommended enhancing the specificity of identified challenges in future research to tailor interventions effectively.
She emphasised the need to expand project activities into urban areas, where vulnerable populations also require nutritional support. Dr Sufia encouraged integrating more qualitative aspects into research methodologies to provide nuanced insights for future project extensions.
Muhammad Eftekharul Islam, consultant for Public and Private Sector Engagement at the JANO Project, CARE Bangladesh, discussed the project's environmental impact and multisectoral collaboration.
He detailed the comprehensive survey conducted prior to the JANO project implementation, focusing on productivity, eco-social resilience, and environmental sustainability.
Muhammad highlighted specific climate-smart practices adopted, such as crop selection based on water scarcity and the use of vermicompost over chemical pesticides.
He noted that the project successfully trained over 20,000 guardians on climate-smart agriculture and biofortified crop techniques. Muhammad underscored the significance of collaboration with 22 ministries, aiming for integrated approaches to achieve sustainable outcomes across sectors.
He emphasised the need for continued support and policy alignment to maximise the project's environmental and nutritional benefits.
Dr Akhter Imam, deputy director of the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council, emphasised the project's role in addressing nutritional challenges through a multisectoral approach. He highlighted the complexities of mainstreaming nutrition projects and overcoming implementation barriers.
Imam acknowledged the project's impact on tackling the triple burden of malnutrition and stressed the importance of integrating climate, nutrition, and health issues into future national plans. He outlined efforts to secure policy-level support and increase budget allocations to incorporate project findings into ongoing nutritional strategies.
Dr Akhter emphasised the urgency of adapting to climate change impacts and aligning project outcomes with national and global sustainability goals.
"We're currently preparing a policy brief to share our findings with policymakers, aiming to integrate these learnings into broader policy frameworks. Additionally, we've allocated a separate budget for nutrition in our upcoming 5th sector programme," he said.
He also added "BNNC involved JANO project and other nutrition projects in Sylhet and Chittagong Hill tracts and these are very impactful aligned with National Plan of Action for Nutrition-2. These successes should be carried forward by addressing government policies with the collaboration of relevant ministries and departments."
Lylun Nahar, project coordinator at Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), focused on scaling up the project's successes and integrating smart gardening technologies into educational curricula. She highlighted the project's effectiveness in raising awareness about nutrition and food safety among vulnerable populations.
Lylun stressed the importance of sustainability, noting that integrating project activities into the national curriculum could yield long-term benefits. She emphasised the need for continued investment in smart gardening technologies and community-based nutrition initiatives to ensure widespread adoption and impact.
Lylun encouraged policymakers to consider replicating the project's successful elements in other regions and enhancing collaboration among stakeholders for sustainable development goals.
Ikramuzzaman Khan, representing the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), discussed the integration of nutrition-related topics into the national education policy. He noted that several project-related themes, such as safe and balanced diets and health management, are already included in the curriculum.
Ikramuzzaman emphasised the challenges of parental perception and the importance of orientation programs to facilitate understanding and support for educational policies. He advocated for continuous efforts to update curriculum content and educational approaches to better address societal needs and expectations.
He said, "It is essential to provide detailed proposals to NCTB for effective implementation. Parents should also participate in workshops to shift their perspective on the new curriculum. The curriculum offers extensive support and flexibility. We welcome specific proposals from all stakeholders."
Dr Nusrat Jahan, deputy director at the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council (BNNC), highlighted the project's success in influencing household nutritional practices and increasing children's consumption of nutritious foods.
She emphasised the importance of replicating successful strategies in future projects and integrating climate change considerations into government systems.
Dr Nusrat stressed the need for strategic planning to mainstream project findings into national policies and allocate resources for sustained impact. She underscored the shift towards ensuring safe food and nutrition for all, advocating for comprehensive approaches that address multiple sectors beyond agriculture.
"Previously, we focused primarily on food availability. Now, we are addressing food safety and nutrition. However, to achieve a lasting impact, these initiatives need to be implemented nationwide as standard practice by the Government," she said.
She said, "Climate change is a global priority. It's crucial to institutionalise successful project learning within our government system and provide recommendations for sustainability. Projects must be mainstreamed and allotted 40% of their schedule for maximising impact."
Professor Dr Khondaker Md Shariful Huda, from the Department of Geography and Environment at Jahangirnagar University, provided insights into communication strategies and seed quality for scaling up the project. He emphasised the importance of effective dissemination of project outcomes and ensuring the availability of quality seeds for sustainability.
He said, "Government nutrition guidelines are clear and must be implemented rigorously. Initially overlooked, cooking demonstrations in the new curriculum are now recognised for their importance. The JANO project is commendable and warrants replication. Educating urban children about these initiatives is equally crucial."
The round table discussion concluded with reflections from the moderator, emphasising the collaborative efforts needed to replicate and scale up the successful elements of the JANO project.
The diverse expert opinions highlighted the project's multifaceted impact on nutrition, gender dynamics, climate resilience, and policy integration, setting a precedent for future initiatives aimed at sustainable development and community well-being.
