India has recently indicated its intention to mandate the national fortification of milk and edible oil and a draft regulation has been issued for public commentary in this regard. Not only is this a great step forward into improving the nutritional status of the Indian population, but it is even more important that this step has been taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. India has been making efforts to right-track its food systems, essentially with large investments to ensure access to basic micronutrient requirements to its large population through the fortification of staples. What benefits will these efforts yield?
In this episode of Bite the Talk, we embark on a conversation around India's food system transformation with Pawan Agarwal, IAS, Special Secretary (Logistics), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India and Tarun Vij, GAIN India Country Director. With both guests, we navigate through India's successes and the "unfinished agenda" on the need to diversify at agricultural level, the need to identify ways to increase farmers’ income, and the need to understand how to leverage the SME culture more.
Tune in to Episode 06: Food Systems Transformation – India’s Journey to find out how India has been adapting their tactics regarding food systems through research.
* Podcast edit (min 15:48): "Foodborne diseases cause around 120.000 deaths per year in India" (source: World Health Organization)