Kirit Patel

The interplay between household food security and wellbeing among small-scale farmers in the context of rapid agrarian change in India

BackgroundSmall-scale agriculture, government entitlements, and livelihood opportunities offered by rapid economic growth shape the food security and wellbeing of people in rural India. This paper analyses this ongoing process of agrarian development from the perspective of three major approaches: the food availability approach, the entitlement and livelihood approach, and food sovereignty. We draw on quantitative and qualitative data collected from 68 households in rural Tamil Nadu on landholding and management, farm diversity, agricultural production, food availability, off-farm employment, rural out-migration, objective and subjective wellbeing, and socioeconomic and demographic profile of respondents.ResultsRural households were classified in four categories, based on their engagement in agriculture and off-farm employment, to understand the interplay between food sufficiency and wellbeing. The households solely based on small-scale agriculture were found to have higher food sufficiency, landholding, and crop diversity, but lower monthly income and wellbeing. The households that were engaged in off-farm employment in addition to agriculture were found to have lower food sufficiency, landholding, and crop diversity, yet they exhibited better wellbeing and higher income. The landless households, which were primarily engaged in off-farm labour, work in distant markets had higher income than households solely engaged in farming. However, they had the lowest wellbeing index among all household types. The findings indicated that the impacts of women’s participation in local or distant employment schemes on household food security and wellbeing were complex and shaped by the household’s engagement in agriculture and their aspirations for a better quality of life.ConclusionsNone of the three food security approaches provides a fully satisfactory basis for interventions aimed at enhancing the capacity of small and marginal farmers to achieve food security and meet their aspirations for wellbeing in the research area, although the entitlements and livelihoods approach has had a significant impact on local possibilities for livelihoods diversification. The study demonstrates that the interaction between food security and the subjective wellbeing of farmers is complex and shaped by the productivity of small-scale agriculture and livelihood aspirations of farm households.

Factors associated with BMI, underweight, overweight, and obesity among adults in a population of rural south India: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundOverweight, obesity, and related chronic diseases are becoming serious public health concerns in rural areas of India. Compounded with the existing issue of underweight, such concerns expose the double burden of disease and may put stress on rural healthcare. The purpose of this article was to present the prevalence and factors associated with underweight, overweight, and obesity in an area of rural south India.MethodsDuring 2013 and 2014, a random sample of adults aged 20–80 years were selected for participation in a cross-sectional study that collected information on diet (using a food frequency questionnaire), physical activity (using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire), socioeconomic position (using a wealth index), rurality (using the MSU rurality index), education, and a variety of descriptive factors. BMI was measured using standard techniques. Using a multivariate linear regression analysis and multivariate logistic regression analyses, we examined associations between BMI, overweight, obesity, and underweight, and all potential risk factors included in the survey.ResultsAge and sex-adjusted prevalence of overweight, obesity class I, and obesity class II were 14.9, 16.1, and 3.3 % respectively. Prevalence of underweight was 22.7 %. The following variables were associated with higher BMI and/or increased odds of overweight, obesity class I, and/or obesity class II: Low physical activity, high wealth index, no livestock, low animal fat consumption, high n-6 polyunsaturated fat consumption, television ownership, time spent watching television, low rurality index, and high caste. The following variables were associated with increased odds of underweight: low wealth index, high rurality index, and low intake of n-6 PUFAs.ConclusionUnderweight, overweight, and obesity are prevalent in rural regions of southern India, indicating a village-level dual burden. A variety of variables are associated with these conditions, including physical activity, socioeconomic position, rurality, television use, and diet. To address the both underweight and obesity, policymakers must simultaneously focus on encouraging positive behaviour through education and addressing society-level risk factors that inhibit individuals from achieving optimal health.

From food security to food wellbeing: examining food security through the lens of food wellbeing in Nepal’s rapidly changing agrarian landscape

This paper argues that existing food security and food sovereignty approaches are inadequate to fully understand contradictory human development, nutrition, and productivity trends in Nepalese small-scale agriculture. In an attempt to bridge this gap, we developed a new food wellbeing approach that combines insights from food security, food sovereignty, and social wellbeing perspectives. We used the approach to frame 65 semi-structured interviews in a cluster of villages in Kaski district in the mid-hills of Nepal on various aspects of food security, agriculture, off-farm livelihood opportunities, and women’s wellbeing. Our results indicate that context-specific subjective and social relational factors highlighted by the food wellbeing approach are key to understanding a paradox of increased food security, yet decreasing sustainability of small-scale agriculture. Increased levels of male out-migration and opportunities for local off-farm work have increased local capacity to purchase food. The positive consequences for food security are indicated by evidence that households with non-farm income sources had better food sufficiency, absorption capacity, nutritional quality, and stability of food supply. These off-farm employment opportunities have also led to the greater involvement of low caste groups and women in small-scale agriculture. This has been empowering for both groups and led to an increase in wellbeing, particularly for those women who have become de facto heads of household. Yet, small landholdings, persistent patterns of unequal and absentee land ownership, sharecropping, women’s overwork, and the aspirations of low caste farmers and women away from agriculture are simultaneously driving the erosion of local small-scale agricultural productivity and ecological sustainability.

Determinants of temporary labour migration in southern India

ABSTRACT We present new data from three village panchayats in northwest Tamil Nadu and investigate the associations between demographic and socioeconomic factors with temporary labour migration from this setting. Individual (n = 1110) and household (n = 278) level logistic regression models were used to demonstrate how factors at each of these levels can influence temporary labour migration trajectories. Young males were most likely to temporarily migrate for work from this region. Additionally, large households from historically disadvantaged castes with marginal land and housing were most likely to have at least one migrant member. Households with multiple migrant members appear to use temporary migration to cope with serious deprivation relative to households with only one migrant member. These findings provide a strong case that can be compared to other settings in India and can be used to inform improved policy and targeted development initiatives to support temporary migrant workers and their households.

The internal migration-development nexus: Evidence from southern India:

This study examines the extent to which the internal migration-development nexus is operational in four panchayats or village councils in northwest Tamil Nadu. We investigate who participates in labor migration in this context and explore the experiences of and outcomes from labor migration for migrant workers and their households. In addition, we examine the motivations for migration among migrant households and the barriers to migration among non-migrant households. We argue that internal labor migration can contribute to development in this setting. However, recognition of the barriers to and within migration is needed to frame subsequent policy discussions and rural development planning.

Promoting food security and livelihoods for urban poor through the informal sector: a case study of street food vendors in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India

Although the street food sector plays an important role in urban food security, state-led food security measures in India have failed to provide a role for poor urban street food vendors to engage in the distribution and consumption of healthy foods. Instead, state-led food security schemes, whether production, distribution, or consumption oriented, have viewed the urban poor simply as beneficiaries of subsidized grain. This case study illustrates how the street food sector, operated by poor urban vendors selling ready-to-eat, healthy millet-based porridges in Madurai, has improved access to nutritious foods and created livelihood opportunities for the urban poor. The paper provides an overview of the informal street food sector, socioeconomic conditions of vendors, gender-based division of labour, as well as the food preferences and health awareness of consumers. Analysis of the data indicates the marginalization of street food vendors under the existing policy environment in urban India. The paper discusses how the state, as a regulatory body and a service delivery agent, as well as research and development organizations can strengthen the rights and capabilities of street vendors and, in doing so, improve urban food security.

Weaving indigenous agricultural knowledge with formal education to enhance community food security: school competition as a pedagogical space in rural Anchetty, India

Abstract Like many socially and economically disadvantaged farming communities around the world, the Anchetty region of Tamil Nadu, India, has been experiencing serious food security challenges mainly due to the loss of traditional foods such as small millets and associated crops (SMAC) and associated indigenous agricultural knowledge (IAK). Drawing on community-based participatory research conducted in Anchetty’s Pandurangdoddy village, this paper explores the local understanding of IAK related to SMAC through young learners (school-going students) and their mentors (local farmers and community members), using a case study of school-based competition. Follow-up interviews with participating students, mentors and teachers were organised to explore the potential of a school competition as a pedagogical strategy to promote learning of IAK in formal school settings in order to safeguard the existing and future food security of local communities. There was a general consensus among the teachers, participating students, mentors (community members) and NGOs anout the potential for a school competition to create an alternative pedagogical space where IAK and curriculum-based knowledge could be intertwined and exchanged. Pedagogical spaces that weave IAK into schools, however, bring together the different and contested perspectives of the participants to understandings of the potential values of IAK.

Decoding the Type 2 Diabetes Epidemic in Rural India

ABSTRACT Type 2 diabetes mellitus is an escalating public health problem in India, associated with genetic susceptibility, dietary shift, and rapid lifestyle changes. Historically a disease of the urban elite, quantitative studies have recently confirmed rising prevalence rates among marginalized populations in rural India. To analyze the role of cultural and sociopolitical factors in diabetes onset and management, we employed in-depth interviews and focus groups within a rural community of Tamil Nadu. The objectives of the study were to understand sources and extent of health knowledge, diabetes explanatory models, and the impact of illness on individual, social, and familial roles. Several cultural, socioeconomic, and political factors appear to contribute to diabetes in rural regions of India, highlighting the need to address structural inequities and empower individuals to pursue health and well-being on their own terms.

Burden and Determinants of Anemia in a Rural Population in South India: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background/Objectives To determine the prevalence and determinants of blood haemoglobin level and mild, moderate, and severe anemia in a sample of adults from rural Tamil Nadu, India. Subjects/Methods We recruited a sample of men and nonpregnant women aged 20 years and older. Clinical health measures included blood haemoglobin concentration and body mass index. We assessed associations between anemia outcomes and sociodemographic and dietary factors using linear and logistic regression modeling. Results A total of 753 individuals (412 women and 341 men) participated in this study. The prevalence of anemia was 57.2% among women and 39.3% among men (P<0.001). Prevalence of anemia increased with age among men (P<0.001) but not women (P>0.05). Iron intake was low; 11.7% women and 24.1% of men reported iron intakes above recommended dietary allowances (P<0.001). Factors (OR (95% CI)) associated with mild or moderate anemia among women included television ownership (0.27 (0.13, 0.58)), livestock ownership (0.46 (0.28, 0.75)), refined grain consumption (1.32 (1.02, 1.72)), meat consumption (0.84 (0.71, 0.99)), and commercial agriculture production (mild: 4.6 (1.1, 18.8); moderate: 6.8 (1.98, 23.1)). Factors associated with mild, moderate, or severe anemia among men included rurality (0.50 (0.25, 0.99)), sugar consumption (1.04 (1.01, 1.06)), egg consumption (0.80 (0.65, 0.99)), and high caste (7.3 (1.02, 52.3)). Conclusion Both women and men in this region may be particularly vulnerable to anemia, and future research must expand beyond dietary risk factors to examine the impacts of sociodemographic and environmental factors.