Food Security programme area of the Foundation is engaged in research, advocacy, awareness creation and community based activities related to food security issues under the aegis of the B V Rao Centre for Sustainable Food Security and the Ford Foundation Chair for Women and Sustainable Food Security.

B V Rao Centre for Sustainable Food Security

Activities of the Centre can be divided into four strands:

1. Research
2. Field level Action Projects
3. Training & Capacity Building
4. Advocacy

I. Research:

Reports on the Status of food insecurity in rural and urban India are periodically published. These reports adopt a comprehensive definition of food security covering the three basic dimensions of availability, access and absorption of food. The analytical separation of the problems of food insecurity in India into these three dimensions is a useful exercise to understand how policies have been framed to address the problems. The following reports have been published so far:

• Food Insecurity Atlas of Rural India, 2001
• Food Insecurity Atlas of Urban India, 2002
• Atlas of the Sustainability of Food Security, 2004
• Report on the State of Food Insecurity in Rural India, 2008
• Report on the State of Food Insecurity in Urban India (to be published)

II. Field level Action projects:

Establishment of community grain banks in tribal pockets of Orissa and Tamil Nadu, promotion of kitchen gardens and infant and young child feeding programmes to strengthen the community food and nutrition security systems are undertaken. The kitchen garden initiative has been taken up in Jeypore, Orissa to address the micronutrient deficiency among tribal children by enhancing their vegetable consumption. Programme on Infant and Child Feeding Practices are undertaken in 3 hamlets in Orissa to address malnutrition issues of children in the age group 0 – 3 years. The programme concentrates on spreading awareness among the community on the importance of breast feeding, timely initiation of complimentary feeding as well as tips for prevention of childhood illnesses.

Initiatives in Vidarbha

In addition to the above, the Centre is coordinating the work with farmer suicide affected families in Vidarbha region of Maharashtra.[Initiatives in Vidarbha]

III. Training & Capacity Building Material:

A training manual on setting up Community Gene-Seed-Grain Banks has been developed based on our experience. Training on establishment of grain banks are provided for NGOs and PRIs. Regular training programs are organised with the broad objectives of:

• Enhancing the managerial skill of Women SHG members
• Orient the members on provisioning of revised Grain Bank scheme
• Make them understand the concept and objectives of the Grain Bank
• Train them on process of effective functioning and management of Grain Bank
• Train the members on record maintenance

IV. Advocacy:

Dissemination workshops at various levels, brainstorming workshops etc. A National Nutrition Conclave was organized in August 2007 in collaboration with the ICMR and the Vistaar Project of USAID.[Chennai Declaration, Book of Proceedings]

A Coalition for Sustainable Nutrition Security in India was formed following the Conclave and it has come up with A Leadership Agenda for Action

Ford Foundation Chair for Women and Sustainable Food Security

The Chair was established at the Foundation in 2002 by Dr. Susan Beresford, President of the Ford Foundation on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Ford Foundation's presence in India.

The focus of the Chair is primarily on research. Gender Concerns in Food Security, impact of rural distress on women have been the areas of study. Workshops, advocacy and awareness generation through lectures and publications are among the activities undertaken for dissemination [Gender Concerns in Food Security]