The Sikasso (Mali) “paradox”: Why isn’t “producing more” a sufficient means for feeding the children of farmers’ families?

Reducing poverty and increasing food production are usual recommendations for improving food and nutrition security. Yet linkages between poverty, agricultural production and food security are complex and difficult to understand. The Sikasso Region in Mali shows a paradoxical situation where substantial agricultural production is concomitant with widespread child malnutrition. The comparison of this region with the other Malian regions makes it possible to apprehend indicators for the specific causes of the children's bad nutrition. Stunted children, the level of which is the highest in this region, is linked to less diversified food consumption and probably to a lack of care, as a result of an overload of agricultural labor.