Scale-N: Scaling-Up Nutrition: Implementing Potentials of nutrition-sensitive and diversified agriculture to increase food security

The main objective of Scale-N project is to safeguard food and nutrition security for the local population in Tanzania by supporting the development of diversified and sustainable agriculture. The main focus for that reason is Scaling-Up Nutrition: Implementing Potentials of nutrition-sensitive and diversified agriculture to increase food security of the population in rural Tanzania.
Scale-N is financed by BMEL with a total budget of 1,381,825.81 € for the duration of 3 years and aims at ameliorating the critical food security situation and nutritional status of the rural poor in Tanzania. Following the core principles of participatory and collaborative research, a network of scientists, stakeholders and policy makers’ endeavors to develop integrated solutions and upgrading strategies along local and regional food value chains after thoroughly analyzing nutritional gaps and drivers for food insecurity. Scale-N is designed to empower women and build the capacity of vulnerable rural communities to shape a sustainable future.
Being a scientific project, Scale-N scientifically aims at

• Establishment of a sustainable interdisciplinary German-Tanzanian R&D network.
• In depth analysis of the nutritional status of the local population and access to the sanitation and health care to identify nutritional gaps
• An integrated in-depth analysis of nutrition value chain components to identify and inventor nutrient dense plant derived foods with regard to sustainable resource management and production conditions. Integration of participative field testing of most promising nutrient-dense plant derived foods and processing-techniques (nutrient-sensitive innovations),
• Local implementation of nutrient-sensitive innovations focusing on knowledge transfer involving local and regional stakeholder related to adequate governance structures and
• Dissemination and transferability including the developing methods on tests for efficient transferability of results

Based on the main objective and additional scientific aims of the project, Scale - N is expected to establish participatory mechanisms for local stakeholder feedback and involvement as well as an inter- and transdisciplinary German-Tanzanian research & development network. Following in- depth analysis of the nutritional/ health status of the local population as well as key value chain components, nutrient-dense plant-derived foods, their growth and production requirements and processing techniques will be identified. Specific target groups will receive education on improved nutrition and sustainable agricultural practices. After successfully testing innovations, they will be communicated broadly and up-scaled in a wider spatial context.