Identifying nutrition-sensitive development options in Madagascar through a positive deviance approach

Abstract Context-adapted interventions are needed to alleviate the burden of food and nutrition insecurity on resource-poor rural households in southeastern Madagascar. The Positive Deviance approach implies identifying locally viable development solutions by focusing particularly successful, innovative individuals. To identify promising practices that could be promoted as part security (FNS) Atsimo Atsinanana region Madagascar, positive deviance was searched among smallholder farmers. deviants defined with overall optimal performance across four aspects FNS: household-level security, women’s diet quality, child’s low diarrhea incidence. deviants, a two-step procedure followed. Based quantitative survey data from 413 (mother-child pairs) child aged between 6 23 months, each household’s scores were adjusted removing average effects household resources. Then, Pareto-optimal identified regarding aspects. Subsequently, 16 revisited deviant through in-depth interviews. A set validated focus group discussions local agriculture experts. include adoption agricultural innovation, such new cash crops, well nutrition-sensitive market behaviors reliance off-farm activities. In addition, some ethno-cultural factors help explain deviance. These diverse may serve examples inspiration for grounded targeting FNS