Food Security & Nutrition

World Vision applies research, adaptive decision-making, and continuous quality improvement to maximize program impact in dynamic contexts. Our multiyear global research agenda, along with project-specific learning agendas, guides the use of monitoring data to identify effective intervention combinations and the most impactful entry points within food and market systems. For example, a study with ODI explored pathways out of poverty in coastal Bangladesh, while an ongoing trial in Ethiopia is testing behavior change communication techniques to strengthen nutrition awareness and practices.

We partner with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on the Strengthen PSNP5 Institutions and Resilience (SPIR II) Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA). Building on SPIR I, the program strengthens Ethiopia’s food security safety net while testing approaches to improve nutrition, livelihoods, and resilience. Through rapid studies, impact evaluations, and Ethiopian-led research, the SPIR II learning agenda is generating evidence that links food security and nutrition outcomes while building local capacity for long-term solutions.

Check out this video for more about our partnership with IFPRI on the SPIR program.

Mozambique: Educating Children Together
The Educating Children Together project, funded by the USDA McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Nutrition Program, aims to improve literacy and promote healthy dietary practices in the Nacaroa and Muecate districts of Mozambique’s Nampula province. The project has reached 40,094 children under age 5 and 71,938 pregnant and lactating women with vital community-level nutrition interventions. To date, over 31 million daily school meals — including breakfast, snacks, and lunch — have been served to 93,402 school-age children, helping to reduce hunger, keep children in school, and improve classroom attentiveness.

South Sudan: Accelerating Recovery and Resilience
In Upper Nile State, one of South Sudan’s most food-insecure regions, World Vision implemented Accelerating Recovery and Resilience in South Sudan (ACCESS), a multiyear emergency food security project. With more than half the population in crisis or worse, ACCESS supported 34,669 vulnerable households (about 208,014 individuals) to absorb shocks and adapt to chronic stresses. The project strengthened recovery and resilience through a range of integrated interventions: trained 541 farmers in seed multiplication, formed 898 mother-to-mother support groups with 24 demonstration gardens, distributed 2,220 livestock, vaccinated 5,428 animals, supported 48 farmer groups to start income generating activities, provided 26 fishing groups with inputs and delivered cash assistance to 28,916 households — all aimed at improving household food security and nutrition. These efforts were coordinated with FAO, WFP, UNICEF, and USG humanitarian programs.

Bangladesh
In Eastern DRC’s Kalehe territory, World Vision and Mercy Corps partnered with the U.S. government to enhance the food security, nutrition, and economic well-being of 16,800 vulnerable households across nine health areas. As a result, nearly 89,000 people — mostly women — now have increased access to food. The project promoted permagardens for diverse, year-round vegetable production, and supported local rabbit farming by distributing over 7,000 rabbits to women to increase access to animal protein. Religious leaders are trained to facilitate family planning and maternal and child health sensitization, playing a key role in shifting cultural norms. Parents were also trained as community educators, sharing skills in nutrition, hygiene, and early detection of malnutrition, helping connect families with timely care.