*5.4. Farm Production Diversity and Seasonal Food Consumption*

As aforementioned, farm production diversification has received increased attention due to its potential for enhancing seasonal food consumption. As Herforth [18] argued, for example, different crops may grow in different agricultural seasons and consequently increased farm production diversity may be beneficial in cases of seasonal food insecurity. Results from our regression models showed that both farm production diversity indicators were positively associated with increased food consumption diversity in the planting, pre-harvest and post-harvest seasons. Specifically, results showed that in Chamwino, where the role of markets was low, and production was oriented towards food crops and livestock, farm production diversity had a significant positive role in seasonal food consumption diversity. However, with an exception for the planting season, this relationship was not significant for Kilosa which had lower farm production diversity. Nevertheless, the results from Chamwino and the pooled sample offer insights on the potential positive role of farm production diversity can play in enhancing food consumption diversity.
