Dietary Diversity, Nutrition and Food Safety

There is a coexistence of undernutrition, over-nutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies in India. A structural shift in the dietary pattern and nutrition transition is observed. The contribution of cereals to calorie and protein intake is high, and an increased share of non-cereals items in calories and protein intake is reflected. The consumption of unhealthy foods has increased. Widespread adoption of healthy diets may lead to some adverse environmental impacts. Multi-pronged strategies with increased coverage, better targeting, change in the design, higher allocations of funds, and coordination between different policies and programmes to achieve SDG 2 targets are required. Pathways for nutritional security consist of improving dietary diversity, kitchen gardens, reducing postharvest losses, bio-fortification of staples with its inclusion in safety net programmes, women’s empowerment, enforcement of standards and regulations, improving WASH, nutrition education, and effective use of digital technology. Food and nutrition security initiatives will require tuning it with changing demographics, livelihood patterns, environmental sustainability, health-specific needs, and overall development activities.