المنتدى العالمي المعني بالأمن الغذائي والتغذية

About three years ago Dr. Priti Joshi went about in a part of the most agriculrally distressed area of India ( Wardha, Maharashtra) encouraing women to take up and set up kitchen gardening. Not only that, she then went around the villages teaching women how to prepare nurtitionally wholesome food items from the garden produce. The women who had all tested +ve for anemea had in one growing season  reveresed the condition not only among temselves but also in their neighbours, friends and relatives.  These were all rural women connected to agriculture either on their own farms or as farm labourers. So obviously, they had at some point come in contact with the agricultural deptartment staff and extension service centres; were familiar with farming and had access to farm produce; and yet, were all found to be anaemic. 

The reason for this narration is to make a point for the need to offer an agriculture education programme that does not look at the science of growing crops in isloation but rather exposes the student to all the areas connected and concerned with the science of growing food and its consumption.  After all agricultural practices have now been proven without a doubt to have caused the highest environmental impact to the planet. 

Although not directly relevant to higher education in agriculture the following link offers a glimse into curricular ideas that can be adopted to begin this practie from the very early years of education i.e. from the school level upwards.

http://www.livelihoods-manthan.net/getSearchdocs.html?search_text=nyla+coleho

http://www.teacherplus.org/2015/september-2015/how-can-your-garden-grow