Sprouting sustainable nutrition sensitive food systems

Context

• The global food system is facing significant challenges from resource limitations and climate change even while trying to ensure food accessibility and affordability.

• Despite being a major producer of milk, fruits, vegetables, grains and livestock, India struggles with nutritional issues, which include undernutrition and overnutrition, alongside widespread micronutrient deficiencies.

• These jeopardise its demographic dividend and economic resilience. Ranked 105 out of 127 countries in the Global Hunger Index 2024, India’s food insecurity requires urgent action.

• The data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21 is cause for concern. Among children under five, 35.5% are stunted, 32.1% are underweight, and 19.3% suffer from wasting. Simultaneously, there is a worrying increase in overweight and obesity, affecting 24% of women and 22.9% of men.

• Additionally, 57% of women of reproductive age are anaemic, underscoring the widespread issue of hidden hunger. Thus, there needs to be a comprehensive strategy to address malnutrition in a holistic manner.

• Food insecurity is no longer just about hunger. It now encompasses all forms of malnutrition, including diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Millions, including food producers, struggle to afford a healthy diet.

• According to the FAO, 55.6% of Indians are unable to afford nutritious food

• If unaddressed, malnutrition will continue to impede human capital development, drive up health-care costs, and reduce economic productivity.

• Yet, within this crisis lies a powerful opportunity — transforming food systems around nutrition, sustainability and equity can boost national well-being and support progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• Nutrition-sensitive agriculture is central, requiring agricultural policies that integrate nutrition objectives by promoting the cultivation of climate-resilient, biofortified crops, enhancing crop diversity, and improving post-harvest storage systems to bolster food security and dietary quality.

• Community-led nutrition interventions such as the Nutrition-Sensitive Community Planning (NSCP) model enable local communities to address nutrition determinants including soil and water conservation, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH), and health-care access through a bottom-up approach.

• School-based nutrition programmes such as Nutri-Pathshala help combat childhood malnutrition by incorporating biofortified grains into school meals, while also supporting local agriculture by sourcing from nearby farmers.