Objective 2: To ensure that the production of more nutritious foods through commercial pathways reflects agricultural biodiverse practices and cultural and consumer preferences

The links between what is produced on the farm, the consumer who buys that food, and the income received by the producer does not stop at what is produced. Food is stored, distributed, processed, retailed, prepared and consumed in a range of ways that affect the access, acceptability, and nutritional quality of foods for the consumer.

Value chains are central from consumption, dietary and nutrition perspectives, not only in terms of the supply of foods. Little emphasis has been given to how consumers can play a role in influencing value chains, and how changes in the demand for specific local foods can influence the processes and outputs of value chains. There has also been little attention to how actors along the value chain can be better informed on how to enhance nutritional value of local foods.

Food and nutrition systems need to be rethought by creating new business paradigms that demonstrate the value of biodiversity while promoting improved diet and nutrition outcomes.

There will be an emphasis on understanding what role nutritious Local and Traditional Foods and Neglected and Underutilised Species  [1] play in creating demand for biodiverse products by rural and urban consumers, and in boosting disposable income for smallholder farmer producers

Component One: Consumer demand, knowledge and access as drivers for smallholder farmers to produce and consume more nutritious, diversified foods

To increase our understanding of how consumer demand, both local and international, can increase the demand of nutritious food produced by smallholder farmers and how smallholder farmers, as net buyers of food, can access nutrient-rich foods sourced from agricultural biodiverse farming systems in informal and formal markets.

Component Two: Agricultural biodiversity as a mechanism for boosting disposable income for smallholder famers, allowing them to access more nutritious foods

To strengthen our understanding of how agricultural biodiversity  [2] and the production of local traditional foods and neglected and underutilised species can lead to a rise in disposable income for smallholder farmers and what mechanisms can be instilled to use this additional income on nutritious commodities for the household.

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• Objective 1:
  To strengthen the empirical evidence of agricultural biodiversity's role for nutrition and health  [3]

• Objective 3:
  To determine best practices and delivery systems of agricultural biodiversity in nutrition and health development programmes  [4]

• Objective 4: To mainstream the role of agricultural biodiversity into public health and nutrition policy and practice by sharing evidence and providing local solutions
    [5]

• Bioversity International's Nutrition Strategy overview  [6]