The article discusses a mixed-methods evaluation of the Marketplace for Nutritious Foods (MNF) project by the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), which seeks to increase the consumption of nutritious foods in Kenya.

The authors argue for the expansion of evaluation methods that build on food systems approaches and incorporate new methodologies from outside traditional economic and nutrition studies. The MNF project comprises two components: the Community of Practice (CoP) for fostering learning and networking, and the Innovation Accelerator (IA) for providing technical and financial support to SMEs producing nutritious foods. To address the complexity of the food system intervention, the authors designed an evaluation method using program theory and a non-sequential assessment of components. The evaluation combines quantitative and qualitative methods, including surveys, economic games, statistical analysis, interviews, and experiments.

Major findings include the CoP's contribution to increased networking and cooperation, the IA's support for SMEs in launching new products and hiring more workers, and a simulated best-case scenario showing increased consumption of a nutritious food item. However, the overall impact on diet quality was limited. The intervention did not significantly increase sales, profits, or assets for firms, nor did it raise overall consumption of peanut butter or dietary diversity among consumers.

The authors suggest that future projects require larger-scale and more systematic approaches, including whole-of-supply-chain interventions, demand-side marketing campaigns, and policies to reduce business costs while providing clear nutritional information to consumers. The authors call for more ambitious experimentation and research methods that cross disciplinary boundaries to better understand the impacts of food system interventions on nutrition.

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