M S Swaminathan calls for CMP for nutrition security

Mysore, June 23: Calling for a Common Minimum Programme for nutrition security at the global level, eminent agriculture scientist Prof M S Swaminathan today said the trend of importing food materials should be converted into an opportunity to produce more food, aimed at achieving nutrition security and becoming self-sufficient.

''Unless we overcome the hunger of the producer, we cannot achieve the global development goal. Out of the total land under agriculture in india, nearly 60 per cent was rain fed where pulse crop is raised. If pulses and oilseeds are imported, it will definitely affect the economic condition of the country and the farmers,'' he said.

Dr Swaminathan opined that nutrition security was multi-dimensional through uni-dimensional approaches. A special strategy was needed not only for deciding on the national policy of nutrition security, but also to work out local solutions as there were wide variations within the country.

He was inaugurating a three-day international symposium on 'Building Leadership Skills in Food and Nutrition Essential for National Development', organised by the Central Food Technological Research Institute here.

Lamenting that the three 'A's of awareness, analysis and action have not been linked effectively in the country, Dr Swaminathan said the delivery systems need to be organised by building leadership among various professionals to address nutrition issues effectively. Policies and plans of action need to be worked out both at the national and State level, making full use of institutional resources.

He suggested a Leadership in Nutrition Security programme to create awareness and competence among panchayat leaders, policy makers, Anganwadi workers and others. A suggestion had been made to take steps to create nutrition security awareness among the over ten lakh members of about 2.4 lakh panchayats in the country. A national nutrition research centre on a single window basis should be set up, with one male and one female member in each panchayat. The Centre should have information about the sex ratio and nutritional information of their areas.

The scientist emphasised the need for universities to take steps for creating not just teaching revolution, but also learning revolution, which was essential for developing leadership skills.

International Nutrition Foundation, US, President Prof Nevin Scrimshaw, speaking on the occasion, said the international agencies participating in the seminar would not only identify training needs in food and nutrition, but also deliberate on current research trends that a country like India could leverage as a lead resource in the ASEAN region and Asia.

The seminar would help formulate recommendations for building leadership skills and capacity building in food and nutrition.

Eminent scientists, professionals and policy makers in the area of food and nutrition from countries such as the US, Germany, Chile, Mexico, Singapore, Austria, China, Egypt, South Africa, Iran, Thailand, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Indonesia were participating in it.

UNI