MSSRF is leading an action research study in Koraput and Wardha districts to demonstrate feasibility of a Farming System for Nutrition (FSN) approach to address nutrition maladies. The study commenced with baseline surveys in 2013-14, on-farm demonstrations and sensitizing the village community on addressing nutritional deficiencies through a farming systems approach. Following assessment of the resource endowment and nutrition status of households, pro-nutrition agriculture interventions have been designed at both locations in consultation with members of the community. 

Nutrition garden is an important intervention under FSN. In 2013-14, community nutrition gardens were facilitated in five FSN villages in Wardha and three in Koraput. The importance of consuming vegetables and including vegetables rich in micronutrients in the diet was emphasized. The gardens are managed by groups of 10-12 women who share the produce. Surplus produce is given to neighbours, relatives or to the village school for inclusion in the midday meal. Household nutrition gardens have been promoted in all the villages. The nutrition status data on anthropometric measurements and anaemia and vitamin A deficiency from the baseline surveys is an important starting point for discussion with household members on growing and consuming nutritious fruits and vegetables.  

School Nutrition Garden is another recent initiative as part of the drive to sensitize the community on the importance of consuming nutrient rich food.  All the FSN study villages have a primary school. A few have a middle school. One village, Chikima in Koraput has a residential school. Nutrition awareness programmes for the school children has been an important aspect of the ongoing work. In Wardha, following interaction with the teachers and the school cook, the middle school in Susund started a nutrition garden and produce from it has been going into the midday meal cooked for students. In September 2015, programmes were organised in the villages to observe National Nutrition Week. The programme was organised in the school in Susund, Vitpur and Borgaon Gondi, the ICDS Centre in Heti and at the MSSRF Farmers’ Knowledge Centre adjacent to the school in Saheli. Subsequently, the schools in Saheli and Vitpur started a school nutrition garden the same month and the schools in both Borgaon Gondi and Heti established them in Nov-Dec 2015.  

Likewise in Koraput, interaction with the Block Education Officer and the school teachers in the study villages and basic nutrition awareness programmes for the school children has led to initiation of school nutrition gardens in four of the seven study villages, viz. Banuaguda, Bhejaguda, Atalguda and Chikima.

Based on the land available with the school, the size of the garden ranges from 7 to 24 sq.m in the Wardha villages. In the Koraput villages, they are larger in size ranging from 100 sq.m to 190 sq.m. MSSRF facilitated the setting up of the gardens by providing the seeds/seedlings of vegetables and fruits; planning the layout and initial sowing/planting. Seedlings of  tree vegetables like lemon, drumstick and curry leaves, seeds of green leafy vegetables like amaranth, coriander,  cabbage, fenugreek and spinach, seasonal root vegetables like radish and carrot and other vegetables like  tomato, green chilli, pumpkin, ridge gourd, bottle gourd, french bean, dolichos bean,  cluster bean, cowpea, cucumber, cauliflower and ladies finger  have been provided. In Wardha  saplings of roots and tubers like sweet potato, beetroot and cassava were also provided while in Koraput, fruit bearing plants like papaya, guava and pomegranate were provided;. Shepu (dill) and poi (Basella alba), locally popular nutrient rich greens in Wardha and Koraput respectively are also being promoted. Both these plants are rich sources of calcium, iron, vitamin A and C. The vegetables grown will vary according to the seasons.

Some schools like the one in Atalguda village requested for help in fencing the garden for protecting the plants from stray animals. The cook who makes the midday meal for children maintains the garden; the older students also get involved in watering the plants. The school in Chikima being residential is seeing more active involvement of the students and teachers. Produce of greens from the school nutri-garden has started going into the midday meal in all the schools.

The objective of promoting backyard cultivation of fruits and vegetables is to have farm fresh produce go into the daily diet. Hot cooked meal is provided to children in government run schools across the country under the Midday Meal programme. The vegetables are generally purchased by the cook on a weekly basis on the village market day. Having a nutrition garden on the school premises can ensure a regular supply of fresh vegetables for inclusion in the noon meal. The presence of a nutrition garden on campus also serves the educational purpose of making school children aware of the nutrient content of different vegetables and the importance of consuming them. This knowledge carried by them to their homes will have positive spill over effect. The involvement of the teachers is another plus that can further the nutrition awareness drive. The response has been encouraging. A challenge we foresee is maintenance of the garden when the school is closed for a long stretch like in summer. A mechanism will have to be put in place to ensure continuity.  

The initiation of school nutrition gardens and the involvement of teachers and students is an uptake of MSSRF’s work in these villages over the past two and a half years. Going forward, the production from the garden going into the midday meal has to be monitored and its impact assessed. The successful demonstration of the initiative can provide a basis for advocacy with the district administration and the state government for promoting nutrition gardens in all government run schools.