Summary
This cross-sectional study of 768 farm households in Cameroon evaluated the individual and synergistic effects of organic and mineral soil fertility amendments on food security and dietary diversity. Using multinomial endogenous switching regression and inverse probability weighted regression adjustment, the authors found that combined application of organic and mineral soil amendments was most strongly associated with household dietary diversity, with differential nutrient-specific effects: mineral amendments drove consumption of animal products and legumes, whilst organic amendments supported most food groups except fruits and meat. The findings highlight the potential of integrated soil fertility management to improve nutrition outcomes in smallholder farming systems.
UK applicability
The findings are less directly applicable to UK conditions, where soil amendment practices, farm scales, and dietary patterns differ substantially. However, the methodological approach to evaluating integrated soil management effects on nutrition could inform UK policy on sustainable intensification and soil health-nutrition linkages in agroecological transitions.
Key measures
Household dietary diversity; consumption of cereals, milk and dairy products, eggs, fruits, meat, pulses and nuts, and roots and tubers
Outcomes reported
The study measured the association between individual and combined use of organic and mineral soil amendments and household dietary diversity, as well as consumption patterns across specific food groups. Combined soil amendments showed the strongest positive association with dietary diversity, whilst organic and mineral amendments had differential effects on consumption of meat, pulses, fruits, and other food groups.
Topic tags
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.