1. Traditional Land and Food Systems:
Abstract # 54
Traditional Land and Food Systems:
A Case of Uttarakhand State in North-western Indian Himalayas
I.S. Bisht, P.S. Mehta, S.K. Verma and K.S. Negi
ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources,
Regional Station, Bhowali (Uttarakhand), India

2. Farming situations in Uttarakhand state
Agriculture built upon local resources
Small-holder farms - robust with built-in resilience
Small-scale agriculture biodiverse, sustainable and socially just
Self-contained indigenous food systems

3. Crop-livestock mixed farming systems
Farming situations #1
Crop-livestock mixed farming systems
(70% ) #2
Nomadic pastoralists
(10%) #3
River valleys
(10%)

4. Production and consumption pattern of food groups in HHs of different farming habitats
Household characteristics
Site #1 #2 #3
Production diversity
32.06
28.70
14.20
Food crop production diversity
27.78
19.70
13.30
Food variety score
22.13
18.50
9.30
Dietary diversity score
6.43
5.60
4.30
Dietary diversity score of healthy food
5.49
4.50
2.40
Dietary diversity of wild harvested food
31.24
25.50
7.50

5. Comparison of some health indicators of HHs of three different farming sites (last two decades)#1 #2 #3
Uttarakhand
state
Infant mortality rate -
43/1000
Maternal mortality rate
292/100000
Malnutrition among children 2%
10%
40-50%
Malnutrition among women 3% 4%
12%
Obesity among adults 5%
14%
Data not available
Coexistence of obesity and malnutrition 8%
Non-communicable diseases
Hypertension
Diabetes 1% 7%
5.7%

6. Facts about nutrition transition Is nutrition trend reversible ?
Shift in dietary pattern
Reduced access to indigenous food resources
Degrading biodiversity in CPRs
Easy availability of wheat and rice through PDS
Problem of under-nutrition and obesity co-exist
Socio-economic disparities and increased access to energy-dense foods creating "obesogenic" environment
Malnutrition not result of food scarcity but foods poor in essential nutrients
Is nutrition trend reversible ?

7. Major constraints in mainstreaming of traditional food resources in daily diets of farmer HHs
Very poor knowledge base on traditional food resources
Lack of or low appreciation of local communities IK and building on such knowledge
Lack of market access for traditional food resources
Dearth of credible information on nutrition and health attributes of a large number of food resources
Economic viability/ market competitiveness of local food resources

8. Conclusions and ways forward
Traditional food resources be made frontline strategies for nutrition interventions
Revitalization of traditional food systems an imperative starting point
Re-assess existing food and nutrition-related health and agriculture policy, and develop cross-sectoral implementation strategies on
Food security, Nutrition and Health
Continuous policy advocacy activities to educate functionaries across different sectors
Developing food composition database - vital for effective advocacy tools and critical for cross-sectoral policy and programme development

9. Interactive meets, FGD and advocacy campaigns
Local food resources in school feeding programmes

10. Thanks