Strengthening fruit and vegetable supply-chain policies and programmes in India

Abstract

India currently has one of the highest numbers of malnourished children in the world – 8% stunted, 43% underweight, and 20% overweight and obese. This distressing public health scenario is further exacerbated by a high prevalence of multiple micronutrient deficiencies among these children – such as iron deficiency anaemia and Vitamin A deficiency. Evidence shows linkages between early life malnourishment (either underweight or overweight-obesity) and predisposition to developing chronic diseases in adult life. Consuming 400g/day of fresh fruits and vegetables can help prevent micronutrient deficiencies while promoting overall growth and development. However, national averages indicate that children do not consume even 40% of the daily recommended amounts. Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) undertook a study titled ‘Leveraging fruit and vegetable supply policies to tackle the dual burden of malnutrition in India’ supported by the Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA) consortium at the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). The study, discussed in this Brief aimed to analyse the policy environment related with fruit and vegetable (FV) supply in India to identify opportunities for policy to increase access to, and thus intakes of FV, especially among children.