Global Forum on Food Security and Nutrition (FSN Forum)

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    • Dear all,

      I am a graduate student working on 'social and environmental dynamics of coarse cereals cultivation'. Of the four questions mentioned above, my research will focus on the direct two parts to essentially come up with some output that my feed into answering the last two questions.

      I am in my early stage of study and has chosen the hilly tracts of Palghar district in the state of Maharashtra, India as one of the area for field study. This region has historically (literature from early 60s have documented this) to been a hotbed of malnutrition prevalent among its predominant tribal population. Since millets formed a part of their daily diet in this rainfed area, I will try to see how the role of this cereal is being perceived by the people there. Through this I try to see any disparities between production and consumption of cereals, its resource footprint, pathways linking it with wellbeing (economic and health status).

      This will be done through a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods like ethnographic study coupled with analysis of change in cropping pattern in the region. Along with Palghar, one more region will be considered for the study which is yet to be finalised. I am planning to begin my field study early next year and all your comments and opinions are welcome. Hope I can contribute more to this discussion in the following months.

      Incidentally, my masters dissertation was carried out at CAbC MSSRF headed by Dr. Anilkumar on the topic 'food security and traditional knowledge under climate variability'.

      Thank you,

      Swaran