*3.4. Contrasting Values of HFIAS and HDDS*

Our study found no correlation between the number of CSA options adopted and food security, despite a strong correlation with dietary diversity. From the earlier 2010 Myanmar Census of Agriculture, rice is an important component of the Myanmar diet. Access to rice is often viewed as an indicator of food security. A reduction in access to rice will lead to an HFIAS response that food is inadequate for the household. Access to rice across much of Myanmar is achieved by purchasing this staple in markets, hence the importance of cash.

Many of the CSA options that have been promoted in the Myanmar CSVs are directed at diversifying accessible food at home and in the farm, relying on fruit trees, small livestock and vegetables, with relatively less reliance on rice as a CSA option (except in TKM, where upland rice is widely grown). The choice of commodities in the CSA project was focused on nutrient-dense products. Some CSA options with promised commercial returns (e.g., dryland horticulture in the dry zone Htee Pu CSV) will likely require more time (possibly years) for economic or nutritional benefits to be realized by the households. It should also be noted that there are other externalities beyond climate change and variabilities that affect the realization of economic benefits from the CSA options. For instance, there was a significant change in the markets for pulses in this period, which dry zone farmers (such as those in Htee Pu CSV) are heavily dependent on.

With regard to why the number of CSA options adopted contributes to changes in the HDDS, Table 5 highlights potential contributions to the dietary diversity of the household per CSA option.


**Table 5.** Contributions of climate-smart agriculture options to diet diversification.
