avoid such inadvertent negative consequences. Gender
and environmental analyses have become a standard part
of program design and evaluation and perhaps provide
useful models for incorporating nutrition analysis into other
sectoral investments.
A stronger focus on nutrition can have substantial positive
results in other areas as well, including education, especially
for girls, and programs to strengthen and protect the rights
of women. The point is that sustained improvements
in nutrition over time will require addressing both the
immediate and underlying causes of malnutrition.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation’s
Investments in Agriculture: A Missed Opportunity
for Nutrition?
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), with its
substantial investments in agriculture and food security,
could play a role in supporting nutrition outcomes, but to date
it has not. Currently, maternal and child malnutrition rates
are not used in the selection criteria to determine eligibility
for MCC programming, nor have nutrition interventions or
objectives been incorporated into the country compacts that
guide investment decisions or into the evaluations that gauge
program success.45 While the MCC is focused on poverty
reduction through economic growth, its operations currently
do not seem to recognize the impact of nutrition as both a )