Report COD Assessment – Niger 2011

The Cost of the Diet calculates the minimum amount of money a family will have to spend to meet their energy, macro- and micronutrient requirements using locally available foods. Data were collected, on all foods available (for purchase, from own production and collection in the wild), prices of these foods and the actual diet currently eaten by 12-23 month old children.

The Cost of Diet software (which is using linear programming) calculates the minimum cost of a diet for the whole family. Possible scenarios were run to look at impact of possible programmes tackling the identified economic barriers to a nutritious diet. This CoD assessment took place in May 2011 in the Magaria-Kantché irrigated zone in the Zinder Region in southern Niger.

Data was collected in four markets on food weights and prices and in 8 villages on the actual diet. Data on food consumption frequency was collected among the very poor and better-off wealth groups, for comparison.