During this first phase of research, we explored drivers of purchasing decisions in local markets.
Overview
My role: Conduct background research on consumption, purchase, and selling practices of local context.
Design research tools to investigate relevant local community practices.
Oversee pre-test of research tools in the field.
Research goal: Uncover what consumers are purchasing + discover interaction between consumer and retailer + identify retailer supply and sale practices
Project goal: Increase consumption of animal-sourced foods among children 6-23 months of age living in a region of rural Ethiopia.
Areas of investigation: Purchasing practices of consumers + selling practices of market retailer
Research tools
Learning
Background research findings: Animal-sourced food consumption is extremely low among children 6-23 months of age, likely due to limited income. Mothers traditionally prepare food and feed children, while fathers typically make food purchases in the market. Despite research in the region for years, we have a lot to learn about what is going on inside of markets.
Field research findings:
Surprise: Did you know that about 80% of the population in rural Tigray, Ethiopia fast about 115 of the 365 days of the year?
Reflections
Research methods: The card sorting method was new for each one of our research assistants. After the pre-testing, all ten research assistants’ eyes were bright – they were learning beliefs about local foods that they had never heard before!
Informing the field: For whatever reason, across the field of nutrition in development there has been little focus on what is happening within local markets. This research - both its methods and findings - will inform the field of nutrition in developing contexts.
Field research (round 1) team photo