Achieving food and nutrition security is a key priority in India. One of the key routes to achieve a resilient and improved food system requires a reorientation of relevant policies. While India has separate policies on agriculture, food security, and nutrition, a food systems approach requires a more integrated attention to implement planned strategies. The need to systematically tackle food issues is increasingly recognised. Synergies and trade-offs across sectors such as livelihoods, environment, and health are not trivial, and working in silos risks progress in one area, driving setbacks in others. For India, food systems transformation is needed to help overcome these longstanding problems. The agenda for food systems transformation in India is understandably large and complex, with many diverse stakeholders involved. Not only is sustained progress at state and local levels warranted but also consensus on the way forward is critically important.
For the past 20 years,Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) programmes have delivered impact locally and inspired policy for national and global action. The focus of all our programmes is on transforming food systems so that they deliver better diets for everyone. In India, GAIN has over the years conjoined governments, policymakers, and the industry to make nutritious food more accessible, available, and affordable via implementing programmes across the country at scale. The food systems symposium would be an opportunity to have profound deliberations on rising nutrition insecurity and environmental challenges and a call for collective action on food system approach towards improving our nutrition indicators, with perspectives from government and industry. It would bring together personnel from diverse organisations in the health, nutrition, agriculture, climate action, gender, and sustainability sectors to deliberate a holistic approach to the future.
The discussions in this Food Systems Symposium will draw sharp focus on three pillars for accelerating food system change in the South Asia region i.e., inclusivity supported by technology and innovation; one vision of the public and private sector partners spelling success for partnerships; and our long-term commitment for ensuring a holistic transformation of food systems for all.
The deliberations from the symposium will soon be documented here for adding to the dialogue around food systems transformation.