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Establishing integrated agriculture-nutrition programmes to diversify household food and diets in rural India

Author

Listed:
  • A. V. Vijaya Bhaskar

    (University of Kassel)

  • D. J. Nithya

    (Research Programme on Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA), M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF))

  • S. Raju

    (Research Programme on Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA), M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF))

  • R. V. Bhavani

    (Research Programme on Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA), M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF))

Abstract

Agriculture is the predominant livelihood for 70 % of the population living in rural India, and food expenses occupy a major proportion of their household budget. Rural household diets suggest that agricultural growth has contributed to increasing calorie intake with very minimal effect on the intake of protein and micronutrients. This in turn causes weak positive impact of agriculture on household dietary diversity and nutrient adequacy. Given the prevalence of high levels of under-nutrition and a large population dependent on agriculture, recent thinking globally on leveraging agriculture for nutrition security has encouraged the agricultural sector to realign its focus not only to increase food production, but also to address under-nutrition. Against this background, an exploratory study was conducted in resource poor villages of Wardha and Koraput districts in the states of Maharashtra and Odisha in India, to investigate how location-specific Farming System for Nutrition (FSN) interventions can potentially improve the diversity of household diets and nutrition outcomes. A detailed baseline study was undertaken to identify the existing disconnect between agriculture-nutrition linkages. In the study locations, the proportion of all forms of under-nutrition, vitamin A deficiency and iron-deficiency anaemia among children 18 years) significantly increased as the dietary diversity score (DDS) decreased from high to low. In Koraput, the prevalence rate of anaemia in adolescent girls and women significantly increased, as the DDS decreased. We conclude that food and diets lacking diversity and without nutrition-sensitive farming systems (either commercial- or subsistence-based) may not be appropriate to improve household nutrition and health status. Our findings provide a basis for structuring integrated agriculture-nutrition programmes or a FSN approach to diversifying household food and diets, for improving nutrition and health in India.

Suggested Citation

  • A. V. Vijaya Bhaskar & D. J. Nithya & S. Raju & R. V. Bhavani, 2017. "Establishing integrated agriculture-nutrition programmes to diversify household food and diets in rural India," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 9(5), pages 981-999, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:9:y:2017:i:5:d:10.1007_s12571-017-0721-z
    DOI: 10.1007/s12571-017-0721-z
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    2. Evan J. Miller-Tait & Sandeep Mohapatra & M. K. (Marty) Luckert & Brent M. Swallow, 2019. "Processing technologies for undervalued grains in rural India: on target to help the poor?," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(1), pages 151-166, February.
    3. Mário Santos & Helena Moreira & João Alexandre Cabral & Ronaldo Gabriel & Andreia Teixeira & Rita Bastos & Alfredo Aires, 2022. "Contribution of Home Gardens to Sustainable Development: Perspectives from A Supported Opinion Essay," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-26, October.
    4. Bird, Frances A. & Pradhan, Aliza & Bhavani, R.V. & Dangour, Alan D., 2019. "Interventions in agriculture for nutrition outcomes: A systematic review focused on South Asia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 39-49.
    5. Palanisamy, Venkatesh & Vellaichamy, Sangeetha & Sendhil, R & Jha, Girish Kumar, 2021. "Does Food Security Influence the Nutritional Status in India? Empirical Evidences from State-Level Cross Sectional Study," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315230, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    6. Vijay Laxmi Pandey & S. Mahendra Dev & Ranjeeta Mishra, 2019. "Pulses in eastern India: production barriers and consumption coping strategies," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(3), pages 609-622, June.
    7. R. V. Bhavani & R. Gopinath, 2020. "The COVID19 pandemic crisis and the relevance of a farm-system-for-nutrition approach," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(4), pages 881-884, August.
    8. Shrawan Singh & L. B. Singh & D. R. Singh & Subhash Chand & S. K. Zamir Ahmed & V. N. Singh & S. Dam Roy, 2018. "Indigenous underutilized vegetables for food and nutritional security in an island ecosystem," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(5), pages 1173-1189, October.

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