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Swaminathan suggests providing adequate pulses to curb undernutrition
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Wednesday, 18 October, 2017, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Our Bureau, Mumbai
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A five-point programme to overcome undernutrition was suggested by M S Swaminathan, founder, M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) at a World Food Day programme organised by the Foundation in Chennai. The five points included the effective implementation of the Food Security Act, providing adequate pulses, the setting up of a grid of genetic gardens of biofortified crops, attending to non-food factors like water, sanitation, etc. and organising community hunger fighters for nutrition delivery.
Tamil Nadu, a pioneer in several nutrition initiatives, stated that it would take up, with great urgency, new efforts to tackle malnutrition. D V Saroja, the southern state’s social welfare and nutritious noon meal programme minister, said, “The World Bank has lauded Tamil Nadu for its efforts in nutrition. However, in spite of an excellent public distribution system (PDS) and schemes like fortified salt, we still need to take up food-based initiatives to address malnutrition.”
She added that efforts needed to be made to include millets in the PDS at the earliest. Under the Food Security Act, millets have been provided for inclusion in the PDS, but this is yet to be fully implemented in many states, including Tamil Nadu. The minister said she would also discuss the revision of the malnutrition-free Tamil Nadu policy with inter-sectoral convergence. With Swaminathan’s guidance, Tamil Nadu was the first state to put together such a document in 2003 facilitated by MSSRF.
Saroja launched a genetic garden of bio-fortified crops on the MSSRF campus. Its objective is to provide planting material and awareness of plants based on their nutritive properties, such as Vitamin A-rich plants, iron-rich plants etc. She declared that Tamil Nadu, with its rich talent in scientists and committed people, could be a role model for South Asia. Job Zachariah, chief, UNICEF Office for Tamil Nadu and Kerala, spoke of the need for inter-sectoral convergence in order to achieve nutrition goals.
G S Toteja, senior deputy director general, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), shared India’s progress in nutrition over the past several years, but there was still a need for more action, especially at the micro level. For this, a new initiative on malnutrition-free districts was being rolled out by ICMR in partnership with ICAR, the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and MSSRF in three states of India as a model district-level project.
R Jegannathan, proprietor, Nallakkeerai, spoke of how it was possible for a farmer to get a net profit of Rs 20,000 per month from 20 cents of land. Also, there was a daily demand for over 10 lakh bundles of greens (varieties of spinach) in Chennai and this could be met by encouraging peri-urban horticulture and livelihood for rural communities. V Selvam, executive director, MSSRF, appealed to the government of Tamil Nadu to revive their Malnutrition-free Tamil Nadu document. A monograph on the Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana in Vidarbha was also released on the occasion.
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