The first part of this research on the impact of local food economies on nutrition status at
meso-level in Tanzania looks at the district level (i.e., Kishapu District). It involved a rapid
appraisal approach that identified key characteristics of the rural economy, including
demographics, land use systems, water resources, energy conditions, income distribution,
livelihoods, production characteristics (agriculture and non-agriculture), food security,
nutritional status, agro-ecological descriptions, infrastructure, market access, government
services and programmes by development actors, all being disaggregated by gender wherever
that was found relevant. This report is based on available data (published or unpublished,
particularly from the District Profiles and District Budgets) and interviews with key local
informants at Kishapu district.