M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) promotes the Farming Systems for Nutrition (FSN) as one of the approaches to tackle household food and nutrition insecurity in rural India. The concept of FSN is a sustainable framework of farming, based on nutrition-sensitive agriculture. FSN, is a farmer led strategy mainstreaming the nutrition dimension in agriculture, conceptualised by Professor M. S. Swaminathan.

MSSRF is advocating the concept of FSN in four states namely, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Odisha with the financial assistance from Tata Trusts. The objective of this advocacy project is to disseminate the FSN concept across different stakeholders and provide policy recommendations for strengthening agriculture-nutrition linkages in these states.

In this regard, three state-level advocacy meetings on FSN were held during May-June 2018 : on the 10^th May, 2018 at Institute on Management of Agriculture Extension (IMAGE), Bhubaneshwar, Odisha; on the 21^st May, 2018 at Hotel Gateway in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh; and on 14^th June, 2018, at State Agriculture Commissioner’s Office in Pune, Maharashtra. MSSRF collaborated with IMAGE in Odisha and Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University (ANGRAU)  in Andhra Pradesh to organize advocacy meetings in the respective states.

The advocacy meetings on FSN were chaired by senior government officers from the respective states:

• Shri. R. Balakrishnan I.A.S., Development Commissioner cum Additional Chief Secretary, Planning & Convergence Department, Govt of Odisha;
• Shri.B.Rajasekhar, I.A.S., Special Chief Secretary, Agriculture & Cooperation, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh; and
• Shri.Sachindra Pratap Singh, I.A.S. Commissioner, Agriculture, Government of Maharashtra, respectively.

Senior officers from the departments of agriculture & allied sectors, Rural Development and Tribal welfare, scientists from ICAR institutes, agriculture universities, ICSSR institutes, international organizations and civil society organizations participated in the advocacy meetings in the three states.

Dr. R. V. Bhavani, Project Manager, LANSA at MSSRF delivered the welcome address in all the three meetings. In her welcome remarks she highlighted the work done by MSSRF in the area of agriculture-nutrition linkages and set the tone for the meetings. Dr R Rukmani, Director, Food Security, MSSRF made presentations on the ‘Need and Scope for FSN’, with specific reference to scope available in central and state government policies to mainstream nutrition.