Call to focus on child malnutrition
MYSORE: M.S. Swaminathan, renowned agricultural scientist and MP, has called for renewed focus on children in the age group of 0-2 under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme, to fight malnutrition in the country.
He was speaking at the diamond jubilee celebrations of Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), here on Sunday. Prof. Swaminathan said that though the country had launched the ICDS in the early 1970s to cater to the nutritional, health and educational aspect of children, it was an enigma that more than 45 per cent of the children continued to be under nourished and the country was ranked high on the Global Hunger Index.
Hence, he suggested that the CFTRI should look at the possibility of simulating a nation-wide programme, in which children in the age group of 0-2 years, who are otherwise bypassed under the ICDS, are covered.
Prof. Swaminathan said it was a challenge and an opportunity and the Planning Commission had been advised to have 1,000-day child development, in which the CFTRI can have an important role to play.
Food spoilage
He also noted the high rate of spoilage of food and vegetables in the country and urged the CFTRI to take initiatives to reduce the percentage and underlined the importance of decentralising food processing centres. Prof. Swaminathan also suggested that the CFTRI should start a trainers training programme on the lines of Shiksha Dairy, launched at Anand in Gujarat.
There was a need for a Shiksha Food Park to train the small food processing companies and make it a movement to help increase consumption of processed foods and reduce its cost, he added.
He said price volatility was one of the causes of hunger and hence the country could not depend on imports for food security. He said technology alone could not help fight hunger and called for linkages between policy makers and farmers with research institutions.
He was speaking at the diamond jubilee celebrations of Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), here on Sunday. Prof. Swaminathan said that though the country had launched the ICDS in the early 1970s to cater to the nutritional, health and educational aspect of children, it was an enigma that more than 45 per cent of the children continued to be under nourished and the country was ranked high on the Global Hunger Index.
Hence, he suggested that the CFTRI should look at the possibility of simulating a nation-wide programme, in which children in the age group of 0-2 years, who are otherwise bypassed under the ICDS, are covered.
Prof. Swaminathan said it was a challenge and an opportunity and the Planning Commission had been advised to have 1,000-day child development, in which the CFTRI can have an important role to play.
Food spoilage
He also noted the high rate of spoilage of food and vegetables in the country and urged the CFTRI to take initiatives to reduce the percentage and underlined the importance of decentralising food processing centres. Prof. Swaminathan also suggested that the CFTRI should start a trainers training programme on the lines of Shiksha Dairy, launched at Anand in Gujarat.
There was a need for a Shiksha Food Park to train the small food processing companies and make it a movement to help increase consumption of processed foods and reduce its cost, he added.
He said price volatility was one of the causes of hunger and hence the country could not depend on imports for food security. He said technology alone could not help fight hunger and called for linkages between policy makers and farmers with research institutions.
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