(P28-017-23) Implementation of a Methodical Social Behavior Change Approach in a Nutrition-Sensitive Dairy Development Intervention: Lessons From Bangladesh

Objectives: Per capita dairy consumption is low in Bangladesh, even among dairy-producing households. The 2021-26 Feed the Future Livestock and Nutrition (LAN) Activity aims to improve productivity, marketability, and consumption of dairy products in 23 districts in southwestern Bangladesh. We present the Activity’s social behavior change (SBC) approach that targets different food systems actors within the dairy value chain.

Methods: The Activity used a social behavior change (SBC) workbook to develop a comprehensive nutrition-sensitive behavior change strategy targeting smallholder dairy producers, processors, vendors, and consumers. The strategy was implemented in four steps: barrier analysis, identifying broad actions, designing specific SBC activities with public and private sector partners, and communicating messages through multiple SBC platforms.

Results: The barrier analysis revealed poor knowledge of the benefits of consuming dairy and low market availability and access as prominent constraints. Family members, community health workers, doctors, and religious leaders were found to have influence on dietary behaviors. Key communication platforms were identified, actionable tasks were developed, and behavioral nudges were implemented. Collaboration with the private sector resulted in training 240,000 producers on safe and efficient milk production and household self-consumption, and 3 prominent companies on dairy diversification and marketing in last-mile areas. A formal collaboration with the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council to train community health workers across all targeted districts to promote dairy consumption and to pilot-test messages marketing dairy on cable television in 11 districts complemented the production and processing-focused SBC strategies.

Conclusions: The use of an SBC workbook helped shape a comprehensive nutrition-sensitive behavior change strategy targeting different food systems actors within the dairy value chain in Bangladesh. The successful implementation of SBC strategies in collaboration with public- and private-sector actors underscores the importance of multi-stakeholder engagement in nutrition-sensitive interventions, leading to improved dairy consumption in Bangladesh.

Funding Sources: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)