Reassessing Agri-Food Systems for Sustaining Nutritional Food Security: Evidence, Imperative and Way Forward

Despite significant progress in food security, India faces several challenges in achieving nutritional security for its population. Sustaining nutritional food security requires a holistic approach focusing on all the components of food security and revamping the food systems. The strategies must be flexible and address the regional variations and challenges of different population strata. They also need to ensure synergies between food production and environmental sustainability. The focus on crop diversification, wild fruit domestication, aquaculture, and animal foods may bring significant direct and indirect benefits, especially to the poor and vulnerable sections such as children, women, and tribals. It will improve access to food, diet diversity, and nutritional security and raise farm incomes. Strengthening food value chains will enhance farmers’ remuneration, reduce wastage, and improve food availability, affordability, and acceptability. Integrating crop breeding programs, increasing investments for research and extension, expanding markets, and focusing mainly on vulnerable sections will be essential ingredients for a nutritional security strategy.