Achieving Zero Hunger – improving nutrition in India from the ground up

In India, FAO and partners are raising nutrition awareness to prevent malnutrition, as a leading cause of persistent malnutrition is poor dietary diversity. 

In India, FAO and partners are raising nutrition awareness to prevent malnutrition, as a leading cause of persistent malnutrition is poor dietary diversity. Thanks to the joined initiative FAO-ICRISAT, underutilized but highly nutritious foods are being grown once again, moving towards a more diverse, resilient and productive food systems.

Livelihoods of farmers and their families are improving as a result and for many this resurgence is improving nutrition.

The Akshaya Patra Foundation provides well-balanced school lunches to children, and as a result, attendance has increased.

Most farmers monocrop, cultivating only white rice. Paddy fields lay fallow for seven months out of the year. Farmers are now learning innovative ways to use their land providing them more nutrition.

Chickpea, a legume, adds nitrogen to the soil, which enriches soil fertility acting as a natural fertilizer.

Traditionally, rice field bunds aren’t utilized. Now they are being used to grow pigeon pea, a major source of protein.

Farmers add gypsum and boron to the fallow fields, which improves the soil structure, and now, between rice harvests, they grow aubergines, tomatoes and clusterbeans.

Vegetable that normally cannot survive the hot season, are being grown under a shaded net with drip irrigation.

Farmers are encouraged to grow more traditional grains like millet – more nutritious than rice.

LOCATIONS: India, Province of Maharashtra, Thane District 

DATE: November 2017

AUDIO: Natural, Maharashtra Dialect, English

TRT: 5’18”

SOURCE: FAO

ACCESS: ALL

1. Women farmers threshing rice in Chambharshet Village

2. Various of school lunch being served at Thane Municipal Corporation School n. 65: children queueing, details of dishes, children eating

3. SOT: Sulabha Suresh Ahire – Teacher at Thane Municipal Corporation School n. 65 (Maharashtra Dialect): Their parents can’t afford nutritious food like they get at school / that is why children are coming to school regularly and enrolment is up. / They are getting hot food daily and are happier and healthier.

4. Various of Sulabha Suresh Ahire with her students in the classroom

5. Various of women farmers threshing rice in Chambharshet Village

6. SOT: Jawhar Baby Bhusara – Farmer (Maharashtra Dialect):

We harvested paddy once a year and nothing in the summer season. / During this time, we took some essential personal items and left to find work. / Nobody stayed here.

7. Various of women farmers working in chickpea field

8. Various of ICRISAT officer instructing a women farmer in a field with baby chickpea plants.

9. SOT: Satish Nanaji Gahukar – Research technician IDC – Asia Program ICRISAT (English):

In this region, they never grow the checkpea crop in the field. / So we tried to introduce the chickpea crop, which is high yielding, and short duration varieties, by which farmers can utilize the paddy moisture after harvesting, so that we have given a new source of nutrition to the farmers.

10. CU women farmer checking chickpea plants

11. Detail of chickpea plants

12. Wide shot of field

13. Various of women farmers by pigeon pea plants

14. SOT Mathi Kashiram Choudhari – Farmer (Maharashtra Dialect):

Before we had problems with our bunds eroding. / After planting pigeon pea on them, they do not erode. / We now plant them on all our bunds and we’re getting good yields. / We also plant them in lines, which we never did before.

15. Women farmers by pigeon pea plants

16. Various of women farmers adding gypsum and boron to the fallow fields

17. Group of farmers working in the field

18. Women farmers walking towards shaded net

19. Various of women farmers planting vegetables inside the shaded net 

20. SOT Mathi Kashiram Choudhari – Farmer (Maharashtra Dialect):

Last year, in the shaded net we cultivated cucumber, fenugreek and coriander. We use them to feed our families and then sell the surplus.

21. CU of women farmer working in the shaded net

22. SOT Kusum Ramchandra Sathe – Farmer (Maharashtra Dialect):

We’ve seen many changes. / It is easier for us to get food and we have work. / We now have our own leafy vegetables. / Before we had to travel as far as Jawar to buy them. / 

23. Various of women farmers attending plants under the shaded net

24. Various of women treshing millet

25. Various of women sitting down and eating

26. SOT Kusum Ramchandra Sathe – Farmer (Maharashtra Dialect):

Before, children in this village used to be malnourished / but now there are fewer cases. / Now, most people aren’t leaving to find work, but are farming their land.

27. Various of women farmers working in the field

ENDS