Improving rural diets at scale #1

Improving rural diets across the Global South is complex – but progress is possible.

Over the last year, Wellspring supported the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) in hosting a series of in-person and online consultations with partners of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These discussions focused on how to improve diet quality in rural areas of Low and Lower-Middle Income countries, where nutrition challenges are both urgent and nuanced. Key learnings included:

🔍Less can lead to more:

Rural populations—3.4 billion people globally—often live near farmland, yet only 30% consume all five major food groups daily. The growing availability and consumption of processed foods in these areas adds to the challenge. To improve diets meaningfully, programme goals must be realistic and grounded in the cultural and environmental context of each target geography. Given this diversity, progress requires tailored solutions—not one-size-fits-all approaches.

🔍Rural ≠ uniform:

Rural populations are diverse—not all are farmers or live in remote areas. Segmenting groups based on factors like income or their access to markets can help tailor more effective programmes. But segmentation must balance precision with scalability to avoid overlooking key subgroups or creating overly complex interventions.

🔍Consider each market type:

Food systems include input markets (for production), output markets (where farmers sell produce), and retail markets (where consumers buy food). Nutrition interventions often target just one or two, missing the full picture. A holistic view helps avoid isolated interventions that fail to unlock system-wide constraints.