Briefing Papers Number 7, October 2009 | Page 8

avoid such inadvertent negative consequences. Gender and environmental analyses have become a standard part of program design and evaluation and perhaps provide useful models for incorporating nutrition analysis into other sectoral investments. A stronger focus on nutrition can have substantial positive results in other areas as well, including education, especially for girls, and programs to strengthen and protect the rights of women. The point is that sustained improvements in nutrition over time will require addressing both the immediate and underlying causes of malnutrition. The Millennium Challenge Corporation’s Investments in Agriculture: A Missed Opportunity for Nutrition? The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), with its substantial investments in agriculture and food security, could play a role in supporting nutrition outcomes, but to date it has not. Currently, maternal and child malnutrition rates are not used in the selection criteria to determine eligibility for MCC programming, nor have nutrition interventions or objectives been incorporated into the country compacts that guide investment decisions or into the evaluations that gauge program success.45 While the MCC is focused on poverty reduction through economic growth, its operations currently do not seem to recognize the impact of nutrition as both a )