Introduction:
India’s rural heartlands are home to most of the population and form the backbone of the nation’s agrarian economy. However, these regions face persistent challenges relating to food insecurity, malnutrition, and dwindling agricultural productivity. Despite India being one of the largest global food producers, a substantial segment of its rural population struggles with inadequate access to nutritious food. These challenges are further exacerbated by climate change, environmental degradation, and socio-economic inequalities, which disproportionately affect smallholder farmers and marginalized communities. Addressing these issues requires a multidimensional approach that combines sustainable agricultural practices with community-driven nutrition interventions.
This seminar titled “Cultivating Change: Enhancing Rural Food Security through Sustainable Practices and Nutrition Awareness in India” seeks to create a dialogue, innovation, and collaborative platform on this important theme. It will focus on understanding the status of food and nutrition security and its regional pattern, promoting sustainable farming practices, such as nutrition gardens, and organic cultivation, to enhance the availability and diversity of food in rural areas. It will also highlight the role of nutrition education in empowering communities to make informed dietary decisions and fostering a culture of health and well-being.
The seminar will bring together policymakers, researchers, practitioners and development organizations to share experiences, discuss best practices, and develop actionable strategies for addressing these interconnected challenges.
Aligning with India’s sustainable development goals and the vision of a resilient rural future, this seminar aspires to reduce malnutrition, enhance food security, and build robust community systems. It emphasizes the need to integrate traditional knowledge with innovative technologies and participatory approaches to create long-term, sustainable solutions.
Through insightful discussions and knowledge-sharing, the seminar will aim to bridge the gap between policy and practice, catalysing initiatives that uplift rural communities. It will foster partnerships across sectors, ensuring that sustainable agricultural practices and nutrition awareness interventions lead to tangible improvements in the lives of rural populations. By addressing the critical nexus of agriculture, nutrition, and education, the seminar endeavours to cultivate change that ensures food security, equity, and sustainability for future generations.
This conference is part of the ICSSR-sponsored project ‘Empowering Rural Communities: Enhancing Food Security through Sustainable Nutrition Garden and Nutrition Education Intervention in Bihar’ under Vision Viksit Bharat@2047 being undertaken by IHD.
India’s journey towards ensuring food and nutrition security requires an exploration of regional challenges, community-driven solutions, and impactful policy interventions. This seminar will address these interconnected dimensions through the following themes:
1: Regional Patterns of Food Security in India and Progress Towards Viksit Bharat
This theme will delve into the diverse regional patterns of food security in India, highlighting disparities and opportunities across states. It will explore the unique challenges faced by different states / regions in achieving food security and the role of local agricultural productivity, nutrition, and governance in bridging these gaps. Insights will align with India’s goal of becoming a developed nation (Viksit Bharat) by 2047, emphasizing pathways for inclusive and sustainable progress.
2: Community-Based Approaches to Addressing Rural Food and Nutrition Security
Focusing on grassroots efforts, this theme will explore the transformative potential of community-based approaches in addressing rural food and nutrition security. It will include successful models of community participation, integration of indigenous knowledge, and the empowerment of women and marginalized groups. It will aim to highlight the critical role of collective action in creating resilient and sustainable food systems at the rural level.
3: Policy Interventions for Strengthening Rural Food Systems
This theme will examine the impact of policy frameworks on rural food systems, focusing on their role in enhancing food security and nutrition outcomes. It will address the effectiveness of public distribution systems, nutrition-sensitive agricultural policies, and targeted programs aimed at reducing rural food inequities. It will emphasize evidence-based policy recommendations to create sustainable, equitable food systems for rural communities.
The broad sub-themes of the seminar are given below.
Sub-Theme 1: Regional patterns of food security in India and progress towards Viksit Bharat
1. Bridging Regional Disparities: Food Security Challenges and Opportunities across India
2. Nutritional Security and Dietary Patterns: A Regional Perspective
3. Empowering Marginalized Communities for Inclusive Food Security
4. Women’s Role in Addressing Regional Nutritional Gaps and Food Security
5. Climate Change and Regional Food Security Challenges
6. Progress Towards Viksit Bharat: Evaluating Regional Food Security Indicators
7. Regional Success Stories: Pathways to a Food-Secure Viksit Bharat 2047
Sub-Theme 2: Community-Based Approaches to Addressing Rural food and nutrition security
1. Empowering Local Communities for Sustainable Food Security Solutions
2. Role of Self-Help Groups in Enhancing Nutrition and Food Security
3. Community-Led Nutrition Gardens: A Pathway to Better Health and Food Security
4. Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Practices into Rural Food Systems
5. Strengthening Community Participation in Nutrition Awareness Programs
6. Fostering Behavioural Change through Nutrition Education at the Community Level
7. Participatory Approaches to Policy Development for Rural Food Security
Sub-Theme 3: Policy Interventions for Strengthening Rural Food Systems
1. Evaluating the Impact of National Food Security Act on Rural Communities
2. The Role of Public Distribution Systems in Ensuring Rural Food Security
3. Policy Frameworks for Promoting Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture in Rural Areas
4. Role of Policy in Strengthening Community-Based Food Security Initiatives
5. Monitoring and Evaluating Rural Food System Policies for Greater Impact
Venue, date and organisation
Venue: India International Centre, New Delhi
Date: 12 February, 2025
Organizing Committee:
- Sunil Kumar Mishra, Senior Fellow, Institute for Human Development and Project Co-Ordinator,
- Swati Dutta- Senior Fellow, Institute for Human Development and Project Director,
- Shreeranjan—Joint Director, Institute for Human Development and Project Director,
- Ritambhara Singh-Associate Professor, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, PUSA and Project Director,
- Manju Bhagat, Professor, Birla Institute of Technology – Mesra and Project Director.
- Vikas Dubey, Senior Researcher, Institute for Human Development
Convenor:
Dr Sunil Kumar Mishra, Senior Fellow, Institute for Human Development, New Delhi
Contact: +91 9818462511
Email: sunil.mishra@ihdindia.org
Joint Convenor:
Dr. Swati Dutta, Senior Fellow, Institute for Human Development, New Delhi
Contact: +91 9717971698
Email: swati.dutta@ihdindia.org
Seminar Advisors:
Prof. Alakh N. Sharma, Director, Institute for Human Development
Dr. Shreeranjan (IAS retd.), Joint Director, Institute for Human Development.
Submission notes for the authors:
- Submission of abstracts (between 250 to 300 words) by January 5, 2025 through a google form link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcRBIjaHnfzrmJHjsC7nZKO9TCKq2Ky3z3X5gZkwv5AoIN-w/viewform?usp=sharing
- A provisional notification of acceptance of abstract will be send through mail by January 15, 2025
- Full paper submission by: January 25, 2025.
- Please email the complete paper in MS Word format, preferably in Times New Roman Font, 12-point size and 1.5-line spacing to mishra@ihdindia,org and swati.dutta@ihdindia.org within the specified deadlines.
- All submissions should include contact details of the corresponding author.
- All contributions will undergo a peer review, and authors of the selected papers (not exceeding 25 in number) will be invited to present their papers in the conference.
- Authors must ensure original and plagiarism free submissions.
- Selected papers presented at the seminar will be compiled into an edited volume, which will be published by a reputed publisher.
- Please note that there is no registration fee for this conference. Paper presenters will be provided free accommodation from February 11, 2025 afternoon till February 13, 2025 morning.