Kadapa district ties up with ISB for study on nutrient-rich food in rural areas

The Kadapa district administration has joined hands with the Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, under the Enabling Agricultural Nutrition Convergence through Technical Support (ENACTS) project, to make nutrient-rich food more accessible and sustainable in rural areas.

The ENACTS project is funded by a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The study by the ISB’s Bharti Institute of Public Policy has embarked on a mission to research the current food production and identify ways to make it more nutrition-focused. The early phase of the project will concentrate on the challenges faced by the rural households, such as poor nutrition, limited market access and low food production. 

Kadapa District Collector Sreedhar Cherukuri said that the study would help design programmes to improve the health of undernourished families. “The project will also explore digital nutrition e-vouchers for high-risk groups. These vouchers can be used at specific stores to balance food supply and demand, though the exact plan is still being worked out”, he added.

The Collector said two focus areas are C.K. Dinne and Jammalamadugu Rural mandals, which are also part of the national aspirational districts programme with the NITI Aayog.

The study will look at ways to increase the production and consumption of nutritious foods, including encouraging the intake of eggs and promoting kitchen gardens.

There is also a proposal in the form of horticulture intervention, which aims to strengthen links between farmers, markets and the public to make nutrient-rich food more accessible and sustainable. The project also looks at global market opportunities and crop optimisation.

The ISB’s Bharti Institute of Public Policy will continue to support Kadapa district administration’s efforts to become a model district for nutrition and horticultural innovation, a release said.