Multi- sectoral approach is needed to address food security and food fortification in India.
What are the issues with food security in India?
In India the capacity to produce enough quality food is falling behind human numbers.
Food production in India needs a pace, even as environment sustainability and economic development are ensured.
India continues to face challenges such as food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly in rural areas.
There is a need for linking agricultural and nutritional outcomes to help India sustainably grow, feed its people.
How food fortification and food security can be ensured?
Bio-fortification–This will help to overcome hidden hunger caused by micronutrient deficiencies such as iron, iodine, zinc, vitamin A, and vitamin B12.
Mass Movement -Providing growing urban population with safe and healthy food requires mass rural and urban agricultural movements.
Policy shifts -Policymakers must shift their attention to the role of biodiversity and the power of local farming systems to improve nutritional status.
Research connections - The connections between agricultural and nutritional research with extension services and policy needs to be improved.
Use of traditional varieties - Underused traditional crops such as millets, pulses will increase agricultural production and improve nutrition and health in high-need areas.
Home gardens - This setups canprovide households with up to more than double the amount of vegetables they were buying in local markets.
PDS - Inclusion of millets in the Public Distribution System will provide good nutrition, as millets are superior to common grains in many ways and are also climate-resilient.
Empowering women- Women farmers are the direct recipients of development impacts, such as access to markets and income, to improve theirs and their children’s access to adequate and diversified diets.
