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Abstract Food insecurity is rising across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where undernourishment continues to affect a large portion of the population, particularly young children. Studies examining the associations between crop diversity and childhood nutrition have recently proliferated but are characterized by inconsistent results and two key limitations. First, many studies focus only on the household level, overlooking the prospect that more diverse crops at village and regional levels may contribute to household food security. Second, many studies pool data from multiple countries, which may obscure important context-specific aspects of nutrition outcomes. Drawing on Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data from 10 SSA countries, in combination with agricultural production estimates for 112 crop species, this study explores the associations between crop diversity at multiple scales (10-, 25-, and 50-kilometer radii) and children’s dietary diversity (HDDS). In addition to producing overall estimates across our sample, we measure country-specific associations to account for spatial heterogeneity. Results of the overall model show a negative association between crop diversity and dietary diversity. However, the country-specific analyses uncover extensive variability in these associations: in some cases, diversity is highly positively correlated with HDDS, while in others the estimated effect is negative or nonexistent. Our findings suggest that country-level analyses provide important nuance that may be masked in pooled analyses. Moreover, these findings foreground the importance of looking beyond household-level analyses to understand the dynamic role that local crop diversity, and its exchange across space, can play in supporting children’s dietary diversity. 

Abstract Synthesis research in ecology and environmental science improves understanding, advances theory, identifies research priorities, and supports management strategies by linking data, ideas, and tools. Accelerating environmental challenges increases the need to focus synthesis science on the most pressing questions. To leverage input from the broader research community, we convened a virtual workshop with participants from many countries and disciplines to examine how and where synthesis can address key questions and themes in ecology and environmental science in the coming decade. Seven priority research topics emerged: (1) diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), (2) human and natural systems, (3) actionable and use‐inspired science, (4) scale, (5) generality, (6) complexity and resilience, and (7) predictability. Additionally, two issues regarding the general practice of synthesis emerged: the need for increased participant diversity and inclusive research practices; and increased and improved data flow, access, and skill‐building. These topics and practices provide a strategic vision for future synthesis in ecology and environmental science.