Exploring the Potential of Diversified Traditional Food Systems to Contribute to a Healthy Diet

This report was published in 2018 by Food Sovereignty Alliance, India; Catholic Health Association of India, Secunderabad; and Nirmala Niketan College of Home Science, Mumbai.It presents the result of a study exploring the role of traditional food systems in providing a balanced diet with all the necessary micronutrients, and in improving health and nutrition in an ecologically sustainable way.The study included a review of India’s agricultural and food policies and their impact on food security and nutrition; community enquiries on traditional food systems in six villages in Telangana’s Sangareddy district, and Chittoor, East Godavari and Srikakulam districts in Andhra Pradesh; and laboratory-based nutritional analyses of the study’s findings.The six-chapter report includes an introduction (chapter 1); ‘Study Objectives (chapter 2); Methodology and Study Area Description’ (chapter 3); ‘Setting the Context: Food and Agricultural Systems in India’ (chapter 4); ‘Community Enquiry into Their Traditional Diets and Food Systems’ (chapter 5) and ‘Conclusion and Recommendations’ (chapter 6).