Uttar Pradesh is a remarkable example of the importance of women’s empowerment in tackling malnutrition by supporting community-based micro enterprises led by self-help groups. These enterprises produce fortified and nutritious foods for pregnant/breastfeeding mothers and children, provided as take home ration through the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programme.
In 2020, the Department of Women and Child Development and the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission collaborated to set up a decentralised production of take home rations by women’s enterprises. The model involves the production of different variants for ICDS beneficiaries. This is done by a 20-member women group that uses automated equipment with a capacity of five metric tonnes per day. Once the rations are delivered to Anganwadi centres by the women’s groups, the women are reimbursed according to ICDS cost norms. The feasibility of this model was demonstrated by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) by using two pilot plants in Unnao and Fatehpur in 2021.
After positive feedback and commitment from the Government of Uttar Pradesh, this project expanded to 202 production units across 43 districts in just over two years. This has created livelihood opportunities for 4,080 women, reaching 12 million ICDS beneficiaries.
Also Read: OPINION | Fixing India’s malnutrition problem
Women’s empowerment for nutrition
Engaging women from the community to run the take home ration production units is a game-changer. This unique gender-transformative approach provides livelihood opportunities to local women, empowering them economically. Over 4,000 women have organised themselves into 204 self-help group micro enterprises across 204 blocks in 43 districts. They have been provided with machinery and raw materials such as wheat at subsidised rates to produce and distribute take home ration. This project presents an excellent opportunity for them to earn a livelihood and contribute to the local economy as several ingredients are procured locally.
In the past, Uttar Pradesh followed a centralised model to produce and distribute take home rations, where private companies were awarded tenders. However, with the government shifting to a de-centralised model, women from self-help groups are responsible for preparing specific caloric values ration and its supply. The aim is to generate an additional income of ₹8,000 a month for each woman.
The Department of Women and Child Development has also used the opportunity to re-formulate the take home ration — it is nutritious with the inclusion of high-quality milk powder, oil, vitamins and minerals, which can help to support the health and well-being of children and prevent malnutrition. Different formulations were designed for different groups to address the monotony issue, and the packaging was reworked to reflect a sense of quality and create demand in the community. National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories-accredited laboratories test the products before dispatch to Anganwadi centres to certify the requisite calorie and protein values and ensure food safety.
‘To ensure good uptake of the variety of products developed, there was research’ | Photo Credit: United Nations World Food Programme
Also Read: OPINION | Road to a malnutrition-free India
Strengthening demand
The WFP has collaborated with the Department of Women and Child Development to enhance the nutritional value and utilisation of supplementary nutrition provided through the ICDS scheme in the State. The focus has been on making the take home ration products more nutritious and diverse to increase consumption. This has been achieved through a validated process that improvises existing products and develops new products under ICDS norms and global guidelines.
To ensure good uptake of the variety of products developed, there was research which included production trials, shelf-life analysis, and an acceptability study. The products include sweet and savoury options, such as aata besan halwa, aata besan barfi, daliya moong dal khichdi, and energy-dense halwa. Ready-to-eat meals come in age-appropriate colour-coded packaging that includes helpful information on infant and young child feeding practices. The packaging label also lists the ingredients, nutritional information, cooking instructions, directions for storage, food safety and hygiene messages, manufacturing dates, and batch numbers. All these aspects have been included in alignment with the regulations set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
‘Engaging women from the community to run the take home ration production units is a game-changer’ | Photo Credit: United Nations World Food Programme
Also Read: OPINION | Bridging the malnutrition gap, the Bemetara way
Fostering innovation and sustainability
An app-based solution is being developed to build the capacities of women to produce take home rations. To improve the viability of the production units, women will receive training to develop nutritious products for the local market. They will use the same units they use to produce take home rations, which will enhance their income, improve the revenue of the take home ration units, and ensure the availability of nutritious food in local markets.
A pilot project is being implemented to strengthen the supply chain and track home rations using QR codes during delivery. The WFP supports this project and will enable government officials to track the Take home ration production, delivery status, and value chain.
The State-wide expansion of micro-enterprises led by women who produce take home rations for supplementary nutrition confirms successful targeting and demonstrates how empowering women can bring about effective and sustainable processes that help improve long-term nutrition in a community. This also highlights the significance of a multi-stakeholder approach towards technically sound and comprehensive solutions that are scalable by leveraging the strengths of the community.
Manoj Kumar Singh is Agriculture Production Commissioner, Government of Uttar Pradesh. Elisabeth Faure is the Country Director, United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP), in India
