Promotion of Food and Nutrition Security Through Farm Technologies and Behavioural Change Communication, Targeting Women

Dietary diversification through crop diversification in a farming community is a useful low-cost strategy for combating micronutrient (Mn) deficiencies (hidden hunger) in Indian diets. With advocacy and awareness, even farmers with small and marginal land holdings can be persuaded to divert small pieces of land from traditional crops, to MN-dense crops like vegetables, fruits, pulses, and millets. Backyard poultry with high egg-yielding birds is a good option to promote, since eggs are highly nutritious. To ensure that this farm produce is primarily consumed at home and only excess sold, there has to be a robust strategy of behavioural change communication. Educational intervention/technology transfer can be through a combination of centralised training programmes, hands-on training in farms, as well as through distribution of simple educational pamphlets. Since nutrition security goes beyond food security and includes safe environment, drinking water, and health care, the educational package should be a holistic one. Pregnant women and mothers with under 24-month-old children (the first 1000 days after conception) are the most effective group to target. Recent studies including the one reported here in a tribal community show that such a strategy can help crop diversification, as well as marked improvement in the mothers’ understanding of health, food, and nutrition. Significant improvement in household vegetable consumption can also be achieved.