Eat right to fight off COVID-19

India is rich in nutrient-dense food crops. All we need to do is repurpose policies towards a food system that is resilient and sustainable

- ARABINDA K PADHEE and JOANNA KANE-POTAKA

MEDICINES CANNOT make us resilient. But our lifestyle can. This wisdom is going to swell the demand for healthier and nutritious foods in this time of COVID-19, which requires us to urgently boost our immune systems and stay healthy. In India, which is a rich basket of nutrient-dense food crops, there has already been a growing demand for natural and organic food products. This is evident from the steep growth in the market share of natural and Ayurveda products of desi companies and a corresponding alignment to the trend by competing multinational companies. Aspirational consumers are going back to nature and natural products to live healthier and longer. A consumer survey by the World Economic Forum predicts that by 2030 India will no longer be an economy led by those in bottom of the wealth pyramid but by the middle-income class—some 80 per cent of the Indian households will be in a middle-income group (from about 50 per cent now) and drive 75 per cent of the consumer spending. Alongside, the government has also launched initiatives like “Eat Right India” and “Smart Food” to enhance the demand for healthier and nutritious foods.

We now need to ensure that these foods are safe, accessible and affordable to all, particularly to the vulnerable sections of society.

Empirical studies indicate that malnutrition contributes to most of the country’s child deaths as well as disability in adults. The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) data further shows that overweight, obesity and even non-communicable diseases are no longer confined to the adult population. Saving the productive populations of the future requires a serious focus on nutrition.