Karnataka Comprehensive Nutrition Mission
Feasibility Study

Linking Agriculture to Nutrition
Mechanisms to Improve Access to Nutritious Horticultural Produce by BOP Communities
funded by

Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition

being conducted by

Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560012.

Mechanisms to Improve Access to Nutritious
Horticultural Produce by BOP Communities

India is the second largest horticulture producer in the world. Commonly grown horticultural products in Karnataka are coconut, areca nut, fruits and vegetables of several species, particularly, mango, banana, lemon, amla, orange, sapota, guava, jackfruit grown across the State.

Important vegetables are tomatoes, gourds, greens, and most other vegetables eaten in India. Most produce is either consumed fresh, or sold in weekly village markets or to traders.

There is an acute shortage of primary processing or cold storage facilities for value addition at village level. Hence the post harvest losses of fruit and vegetables are very high, almost up to 30 percent.

Apart from the national wastage of valuable nutritious produce, which is preventable, India is also home to the largest number of undernourished and anemic women, children and men in the world, and the highest percentage of undernourished adolescent girls. Anemia among children is around 54% and among pregnant women, 73%.

With this background, it is imperative that wastage of highly nutritious and valuable horticultural produce is prevented, that it is preserved in the most appropriate manner at primary level, and made available for consumption to the families at the base of the pyramid who suffer from under nutrition and micronutrient deficiency.

The Karnataka Nutrition Mission has sponsored a feasible study, supported by GAIN for exploring mechanisms at primary level to prevent the wastage of highly valuable horticultural / agricultural produce through appropriate rural technology, so as to make available nutritious value added products throughout the year to vulnerable families. This is bound to have a positive impact towards improving the nutritional status of vulnerable families, employment creation, recycling of organic waste to energy and manure, market development etc.

The feasibility study is being done by the Centre for Sustainable Technologies, Indian Institute of Science. The situation analysis for the study has started.