Table 3 Perceptions about change among different stakeholders

Production–consumption pathway

● Multi-stakeholder interventions led to farmers’ behaviour changes;

● Role models and influential community members enhanced confidence;

● Partial shift from cash crops to non-cash nutritious crops;

● Increased diversity of nutritious crop production;

● At least 15% of farmers have surplus nutritious food to sell to communities and micro-entrepreneurs;

● Vulnerable households still focus on labour and cash crops for income.

● Partial shift from cash crops to non-cash nutritious crops;

● Increased diversity of nutritious crop production;

● Nutritious food integrated in household diets;

● Shift from buying food with wages to producing own food and selling surplus;

● Vulnerable households still focus on labour and cash crops for income.

● Increased food diversity (production and diet) and NSA practices;

● More nutritious daily food intake for children and pregnant women;

● Farmers will continue growing nutritious crops after project ends.

● Farmers produce more nutritious food for daily intake;

● Farmers sell surplus food to micro-entrepreneurs and communities.

● Increased food diversity (production and diet) and NSA practices;

● Farmers will continue growing nutritious crops, seeing good results;

● More confident and knowledgeable in implementing new NSA models;

● Vulnerable households still focus on labour and cash crops for income.

Caring–feeding pathway

● Intersectoral interventions supported at least half of families to change behaviour in caring and feeding for children and pregnant women: seeking health care, hygiene, breastfeeding, and vaccination;

● Household groups an essential channel for health and nutrition education and behaviour change.

● At least half of families already changed behaviour in feeding and caring for children and pregnant women;

● Peer-to-peer exchanges crucial for knowledge sharing and behaviour change;

● Families applied new knowledge on nutrition, nutritious crops and school feeding.

● Village health workers gained knowledge on NSA;

● Improved caring and feeding behaviour for children and pregnant women;

● Household groups meetings enhanced social capital.

● Better home cooking practices learnt from the school feeding program;

● Parents spend more money on food for children;

● Parents working away unable to take good care of children.

● Better home cooking practices learnt from micro-entrepreneurs;

● Parents pay more attention to nutrition, feeding their children, and school meals. Some bought food from micro-entrepreneurs for children not at school;

● Micro-entrepreneurs and parents communicate about school meals and food intake.

● More exchange on NSA knowledge and practices among community members and households lead to behaviour change;

● Parents increased knowledge on nutrition and health care. They will continue new behaviours after project ends;

● More social exchange in community;

● Parents working away unable to take good care of children.

HGSF pathway

● Education sector needs multi-stakeholder collaboration to implement school feeding program;

● At least 15% of households sell surplus agricultural products to micro-entrepreneurs for school meals;

● Reduced undernutrition among nursery school children;

● School meals contributed to increased nursery school attendance;

● Children requested same meals at home;

● District Education Committee will continue school meals when program support ends.

● Selection of committed/active micro-entrepreneurs;

● Increased use of home-grown foods in school meals;

● Parents and teachers communicate about school meals and nutrition education;

● Reduced undernutrition among nursery school children;

● School meals contributed to increased nursery school attendance;

● Most parents willing to pay for school meals when program support ends but some are unable to pay.

● Parents pay more attention to nutritious breakfasts for nursery school and younger children;

● Parents bring children to school more regularly and on time;

● School feeding contributed to behaviour change in feeding and caring for children and pregnant women;

● Most parents willing to pay for school meals when project ends but vulnerable households cannot.

● Teachers, parents and micro-entrepreneurs communicate more about nutrition and school meals;

● Reduced undernutrition among nursery school children;

● School meals contributed to increased attendance at nursery schools;

● Children changed hygiene habits and food preferences;

● Increased use of home-grown foods in school meals;

● Micro-entrepreneurs provide alternative payment plans for families that cannot pay on time.

● Local food sources are used for school meals, including micro-entrepreneurs’ own products;

● Children like school meals and look healthy;

● Positive effects of school meals motivate micro-entrepreneurs to maintain good quality;

● Increased trust in the capacity of micro-entrepreneurs;

● Most parents willing to pay for school meals after project ends but some are unable to pay;

● Micro-entrepreneurs provide alternative payment plans for families that cannot pay on time.

● Micro-entrepreneurs and parents communicate about cooking and intake of nutritious foods;

● Children love school meals and expect the same food at home;

Reduced undernutrition among nursery school children;

● All want to sustain the school feeding program but vulnerable households are unable to pay the full cost.