Agricultural Economics Research Review
Year : 2019, Volume : 32, Issue : conf
First page : ( 267) Last page : ( 267)
Print ISSN : 0971-3441. Online ISSN : 0974-0279.

Agriculture, food systems and nutrition in tribal areas in India

Revathi E, Sultana Arifa

Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Begumpet, Hyderabad, 500016, Telangana, India

Online published on 13 December, 2019.

Abstract

Agriculture in the tribal areas in central India is undergoing transformation towards mainstream agriculture. Commercial non-food crops expanded over traditional food crops. Maize, cotton, soybean, pulses replaced crops such as jowar, bajra and millets. Food is available but crops with high nutritional value are disappearing. Food consumption is found to be less than dietary recommended intake among some tribes resulting in acute energy and micro nutrient deficiency especially among women and children. Traditional agriculture and food systems are affected importantly by policy, loss of diversity due to ecological changes, markets, and modernization process. In the process of transformation tribal people have neither become modern nor remained in their earlier state impacting their well-being in terms of food and nutrition. There are few cases of best practices which may be a way forward towards better food and nutrition security.

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