Page 122 - IJPS-10-2

International Journal of
Population Studies Child malnutrition in rural India

(Desai et al., 2016; Chatterjee, 2021). The Global Hunger The agriculture in West Bengal used to be characterized
Index (2022) has ranked India the 107 place out of 121 by the wide diversification of different crops cultivated in
th
countries (GHI Report, 2022). To address the challenges in different districts over different periods of time (De, 2000).
tackling with child malnutrition, the Government of India Evidently, there had been gradual increase of the crop
has taken various initiatives, such as the implementation diversification indices, namely, Herfindahl index, Simpson
of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) in 1975, index, entropy index, and modified entropy index, in
the Food Security Act in 2013 and Poshan Abhiyan in West Bengal from 1980 – 81 to 2007 – 08 (Majumdar,
2018. Various agriculture-related programs, such as the 2014). However, a spatiotemporal analysis revealed that
Minimum Support Price (MSP), the Pradhan Mantri Krishi in Gopiballavpur-II, the crop diversification had gradually
Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), and the National Mission of decreased from moderate to low level between 2007 – 08
Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), were also implemented. and 2010 – 11 (Bisai et al., 2016).
Nonetheless, the outcome of these programs and policies There is an extensive range of studies regarding child
implemented by the Indian government to improve of malnutrition focusing on its contextual determinants,
nutrition and agricultural development for the social including child’s demographic characteristics (Talapalliwar
upliftment of the farmers, yet the problem of nutritional & Garg, 2014; Ghimire et al., 2020; Katoch, 2022), household
status among children is still prevalent; thus, recent characteristics (Som et al., 2007; Gundersen & Ziliak, 2021;
attention has been diverted to focus on agriculture-based Katoch, 2022), and mother’s characteristics (Imai et al., 2014;
approaches for the improvement of nutrition (Levin et Vargas & Hernandez, 2020; Katoch, 2022) at community
al., 2003; Bisai et al., 2016; Gulati & Roy, 2021; E. Duncan level, and environmental factors (Aneja et al., 2001) both at
et al., 2022). One prominent aspect in understanding the the regional and national levels (Debnath & Bhattacharjee,
agriculture-nutrition association is the increase in food 2014; Meshram et al., 2011; Talapalliwar & Garg, 2014).
production, which, in turn, improves dietary intake, Socioeconomic and demographic factors that are associated
thereby fulfilling the essential nutrients necessary for with the child malnutrition include mother’s nutrition
human health. Recently, agricultural diversification has (Adedokun & Yaya, 2021), poverty, hygiene, sanitation, food
also been recognized as a strategy to reduce undernutrition security, healthcare practices (Islam et al., 1994), birth order,
(Anuja et al., 2022), which acknowledges the importance age and duration of breastfeeding, mother’s education(Teller
of agriculture and its connection with nutrition and health & Yimar, 2000; Khan & Raza, 2014; Stiller et al., 2020), birth
status. The previous research found that crop diversification
has a significant positive effect on the long-term nutritional interval, wealth index, mother’s body mass index, and mother’s
education (Kumar & Singh, 2013; Mandal et al.,2014; Dahiya
status of children, especially girls (Lovo and Veronesi, 2014; & Viswanathan, 2015; Singh et al., 2020; Biswas et al., 2020),
Frison et al., 2006). In India, agricultural diversification which have been extensively investigated. Similar studies have
plays a crucial role in ensuring food security, nutrition, also been conducted in West Bengal (Sarkar, 2016).
and income generation. In addition, crop diversification
has an important impact on the gross domestic product The socioeconomic determinants of child malnutrition
(GDP) (Gopalappa, 1996), as it contributes to employment, have been widely studied, yet the studies on the
increased cropping intensity, reduction in rural-urban multidimensional aspect of child malnutrition taking into
migration, and most importantly income generation account the household crop diversification remain scarce.
(Acharya et al., 2011). Alarminly, in West Bengal, approximately one-third
of the children under 5 years old in rural areas are still
Crop diversification augments the production of a variety
of food, a strategy that broadens food sources, improves underweight, measuring at 33.6% (NFHS-4, 2015 – 16)
and 33.5% (NFHS-5, 2019 – 20) at different periods. Thus,
livelihoods, increases job opportunities in the local agro- it is important to determine the fundamental link between
processing, and revitalizes the rural economy as a whole,
thereby improving the problem of micronutrient malnutrition nutritional status and agriculture in a region where
(Thompson & Amoroso, 2014; FAO et al., 2021; and Douyon agriculture is the main source of economy. In view of this,
et al., 2022). Efficient cropping pattern refers to specialized we propose several research questions:
crop cultivation involving the utmost efficient utilization (i). In an area with good agro-climatic conditions,
of land, fertilizer, irrigation system, and other agricultural which type of crops is grown and what is the level of
inputs, which can positively improve land productivity and cropping intensity?
net farm income of peasants. Hence, diversification of crops (ii). Is crop diversification practiced among the rural
is crucial for agricultural sustainability as it removes biotic households?
and abiotic stress to the soil and sustains good productivity (iii). Is there a link between household crop diversification
of cropland (Kamraju et al., 2017; Das, 2001). and child malnutrition?

Volume 10 Issue 2 (2024) 116 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.0324