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"India is undergoing nutrition transition and is facing the dual burden of malnutrition"
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Monday, 23 January, 2012, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Nutrition is one aspect of the food industry which is considered to be everybody's baby but responsibility of none. With increasing global networking, the need is to adapt to different global regulations than merely adopting standards, particularly with regard to nutrition. Deepika Anand, research associate, FAO IN (Food and Agriculture Organisation-India), talks to Irum Khan on what it takes to conceptualise a nutrition plan for the country and FAO's India projects
What are the most challenging aspects of nutrition which need to be addressed on priority basis by different regulatory bodies?
India is undergoing nutrition transition and is facing the dual burden of malnutrition i.e. problem of under-nutrition and micronutrient deficiencies along with emerging problems of overnutrition and obesity. The long-standing problem of underweight, stunting and wasting among children and underweight among adolescent girls and women needs to be addressed. Along with iron deficiency, anaemia (IDA), iodine and vitamin A deficiency, India is also now facing health problems due to dietary deficiency of zinc, selenium, calcium and vitamin D as well. Diet related-non-communicable diseases (DR-NCDs) like diabetes, hypertension, CHD, and metabolic syndrome are also on rise. There is also a vicious cycle of maternal malnutrition, early and repeated pregnancies and low birth weight which demands attention.
Recent years have seen the growing trend in occurrence of food-borne diseases like E-coli, Salmonella and Klebsiella... Is there any long-term action plan with the FAO to help prevent their outbreak.. and, what are the far-reaching effects of such illnesses on global food security?
Food-borne diseases caused by micro-organisms are on a rise both at national and international level. FAO has a separate division which works on food safety and quality aspects to prevent food-borne illness among masses. In this sector, FAO works closely with the WHO and has developed risk-based approaches for the management of public health hazards in food. Also, there is a joint FAO / WHO Expert Committee for Food Additives (JECFA). FAO adopts holistic approach to food safety where the entire food chain is considered to produce safer food - "From farm to fork approach." Increased trade between countries is a result of rapid globalisation and has led to increased threat of international incidents concerning food safety. The International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) is a joint initiative between FAO and WHO to promote rapid exchange of information during food safety-related events.
Where food safety and security are concerned what are the challenges in terms of regulations that a country like India needs to overcome?
The majority of food outlets in India are in the unorganised sector and therefore enforcing food safety standards is a key challenge. Also, such enforcements could lead to players in the unorganised sector - food vendors, road side eateries etc. - losing their means of livelihood. Ensuring safe food to consumers and making food suppliers accountable for their actions is an area that the regulator is required to focus on. Dealing with imports from countries where safety standards may not be at par with domestic markets is another challenge.
If you are asked to advise the Indian food regulator about combating malnutrition, what would that be?
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) deals with setting and enforcing food safety standards in India. Malnutrition on the other hand is addressed by numerous programmes run by various ministries of the Government of India. Effective delivery mechanisms and improved access to safe food is crucial to combat malnutrition in India. The present era is of convergence and collaborations; no single methodology / organisation / programme / policy would reap desired results to reach the ultimate goal of combating malnutrition. The concept of one-health i.e. addressing all connections between health and environment stands strong, leveraging agriculture for improving nutrition and health is another dimension and strengthening of existing safety nets with continuous monitoring and evaluation is required. Therefore, a multi-sectoral preventive approach is needed to provide solutions to long-standing problem of undernutrition especially among women and children, to combat "hidden hunger" and to prevent DR-NCDs to turn into an epidemic.
What are FAO's current projects in India?
Fisheries Management for Sustainable Livelihoods: FIMSUL
Under the World Bank Trust Fund for Tsunami Recovery, the Governments of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry have entered into an agreement with the FAO to implement an 18-month project on Fisheries Management for Sustainable Livelihoods (FIMSUL). The project is based on a scoping study done by FAO, World Bank and DfID, which has shown that by better management of the marine fisheries sector, there is potential for sustainable livelihoods enhancement and economic growth in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
FAO technical assistance programme to improve litchi productivity in Bihar
In 2009, at the request of the Government of India, FAO launched a programme to offer technical assistance and provide catalytic inputs to tackle urgent technical constraints to improve litchi productivity and quality as a means to improve food and nutritional security and increase employment, particularly for small and marginal farmers who were hit the hardest with the declining productivity.
The technical assistance programme focusses on offering expertise in specific areas to propagate modern and efficient technologies in litchi production, to expand the genetic base and varietal diversity of the crop so as to increase its commercial viability, to link farmers to improved technologies and the latest research and tackle problems such as fruit cracking, low fruiting intensity and high infestation of pests and to introduce techniques to help growers mitigate post-harvest losses, as fresh litchi has a particularly low shelf life.
South Asia Pro-Poor Livestock Policy Programme - joint initiative with the National Dairy Development Board.
The South Asia Pro-Poor Livestock Policy Programme (SA PPLPP) has been under implementation since 2006 and aims at documenting good practices from the field, consolidating lessons learnt from these good practices, and using this documentation to advocate and dialogue for policy development and policy change benefiting small-holder livestock rearers.
FAO Emergency Centre for Transboundary Animal Diseases: Immediate Technical Assistance to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in India
The three-year project aims to build capacity to improve surveillance and epidemiological analysis within the department of animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries of the ministry of agriculture. The overall objective of the programme is to contribute to the Government of India's capacity to find and control animal diseases, especially Transboundary Animal Diseases, Zoonotic diseases and Highly Pathogenic Emerging diseases.
Organic Production of Underutilised Medicinal, Aromatic and Natural Dye Plants Programme: MADP
The FAO implemented the 'Organic Production of Underutilised Medicinal, Aromatic and Natural Dye Plants Progr
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