Sowing Better to Eat Better- Transforming Agri-food Systems for Better Production, Nutrition, and Environment

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Sowing Better to Eat Better- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 2: Governance, Administration and Challenges- Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health and Human Resources.
- Issues relating to poverty and hunger.

The findings from the first round of the Fifth National Family Health Survey suggest that nutrition-related indicators have worsened in most States.
- The survey covers 17 States and five Union Territories, which comprise 54% of India’s population.
In addition, findings from the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (2016-18) have highlighted the role of micronutrient malnutrition.

The health of a country’s agri-food systems determines the health of its people. A structural shift in dietary patterns and nutrition requires a shift in production.
Pathways for nutritional security: consist of improving dietary diversity, kitchen gardens, and reducing post-harvest losses.
- It also consists of making the safety net programs more nutrition-sensitive, women’s empowerment, enforcement of standards and regulations, improving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, nutrition education, and effective use of digital technology.
Economic Importance of India’s agricultural system: India produces sufficient food, feed and fibre to sustain about 18% of the world’s population (as of 2020).
- Agriculture contributes about 16.5% to India’s GDP and employs 42.3% of the workforce (2019-20).
Benefits of sustainable Agri-food systems:
- Food systems can help combat environmental degradation or climate change.
- Sustainable agri-food systems can deliver food security and nutrition for all, without compromising the economic, social and environmental bases.

COVID-19 and Climate Change: have exacerbated the nutrition issue, and challenged agricultural production itself.
Indian agriculture is facing unprecedented challenges related to economic and ecological sustainability, nutrition and the adoption of new agricultural technologies.
The edifice of India’s biosecurity remains vulnerable to disasters and extreme events.

Adopting a multi-pronged approach: Policymakers should look at agri-food systems as a whole for addressing the complex problem of malnutrition.
Reorienting Agri-food systems: to enhance farm incomes and also ensure better access to safe and nutritious foods.
- It should reorient to minimize cost on the environment and the climate.
Steps taken by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO):
- Organized World Food Day 2021 whose theme was- ‘Our actions are our future. Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life.
- FAO has been engaged with the Indian government for mainstreaming agrobiodiversity, greening agriculture, promoting nutrition-sensitive agriculture and strengthening national food security.

A sustainable agri-food system is one in which a variety of sufficient, nutritious and safe foods are made available at an affordable price to everyone, and nobody goes hungry or suffers from any form of malnutrition.
- Less food is wasted, and the food supply chain is more resilient to shocks.