Public Health Activists Oppose Maneka Gandhi’s Move to Packaged Nutrients over Take Home Rations in Anganwadis

Gandhi made the news recently by opposing her own ministry into wanting to convert these to factory made packets instead of sourcing local food items and ingredients. Citing food safety she has pushed for a powdered formula that can be mixed with regular meals.

To

Ms. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi

Minister

Ministry of Women and Child Development

Govt. of India

Dear Madam,

We write to you to express our concerns regarding your plan to convert all take home rations given by Anganwadi centres to children in the age group of 6 months to 3 years and pregnant and lactating women, with “energy-dense, factory-made nutrient packets”, as has been reported by the media. Such a move would open doors for private contractors and suppliers, taking control over what is given in Anganwadi centres in a decentralised manner.

Children need adequate quantities of wholesome, diverse foods to grow and develop. These foods should meet their requirements of various nutrients, as well as calories. Lack of enough food, especially diverse food, means that children are unable to meet their nutritional requirements. The “supplementary nutrition programme” (SNP) under ICDS is expected to play an important role in combating child malnutrition. As shown by NFHS-4 data, less than 10% of children under two years in our country are currently receiving adequate diet^[1], highlighting the urgent need to take measures to ensure dietary diversity and appropriate care and feeding for young children. Introducing nutrient packets would take us away from the objective of moving towards dietary diversity.

In the context of increasing burden of non-communicable diseases in India, experts have been warning us against excessive use of processed and ultra-processed foods. In a recent International Conference on the double burden of malnutrition held in Delhi, a number of country experiences were presented where successful strategies to combat malnutrition included supporting local food systems, improving livelihoods and access to healthy foods.

For years, the Right to Food Campaign has been fighting the battle against the role of private contractors in the supply of supplementary nutrition in the ICDS. In state after state it has been seen that the unholy nexus between the contractors and politicians/bureaucrats result in central contracts worth hundreds of crores for supply of food to ICDS. The quality of food supplied to the centres is compromised while companies make profits from the meagre allocation on supplementary nutrition. Recent scams related to the above have been brought to light in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

The ICDS’s supplementary nutrition programme (SNP) serves a range of important purposes.  It not only provides quantitative supplementation by increasing children’s food intake but also enhances the quality of diets by giving them nutritious and diverse food items they may not get at home, such as vegetables, eggs, fruit, etc. The provision of nutritious, cooked meals at the Anganwadi is a form of “nutrition education” – it helps to convey what a nutritious meal looks like, and to spread the notion that children need require a regular and balanced intake of various nutrients. It provides the opportunity to create employment for local women as well as demand for local product such as vegetables, eggs, etc. All of this is possible only when the food is produced and distributed in a decentralised manner.

We are opposed to these repeated attempts to serve commercial interests in the supply of nutrition in ICDS. The Supreme Court orders related to banning private contractors must be strictly adhered to. Adequate allocations must be made to ensure diverse and nutritious food, including eggs, are provided to children in Anganwadi centres (in the form of hot cooked meals or take home rations depending on local conditions) in a decentralised manner. Local groups must be provided the training and support required to deliver nutritious and hygienic food.

Intervention to replace locally made food compromises decentralised autonomy and community control. They also detract from local livelihoods and take away the option of using local foods and recipes many of which have good nutritional value. It also violates the Act which gives responsibility to the State Governments to “implement schemes covering entitlements under sections 4, 5 and section 6 in accordance with the guidelines, including cost sharing, between the Central Government and the State Governments.”

Large, global and national food corporations see children’s hunger and malnourishment as a source of profits and are trying to influence government policy towards providing packaged foods. We request you not to give in to the interest of profit and continue to abide by the letter and spirit of the National Food Security Act in providing locally made take home rations to children in the Anganwadi centres.

Thank you.

With regards,

We are,

1. Aabida – Advocate, New Delhi
2. Action India, New Delhi
3. Aditya Srivastava – Advocate
4. Adivasi Adhikar Samiti – Chhattisgarh
5. Ajay K Jha – PAIRVI
6. Ajay Naskar, BMCDM, Kolkata
7. Alex Ekka, Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi
8. All India Democratic Women’s Association
9. All India Federation of Anganwadi Workers and Helpers
10. All India Progressive Women’s Association
11. Alliance for People’s Rights, New Delhi
12. Alpana Nai – SAHAJ, Vadodara Gujarat
13. Amar Jesani
14. Amita De, Secretary, Shramajivi Mahila Samity
15. Ankita Aggarwal – Right to Food Campaign Secretariat
16. Ann Suraksha Adhikar Abhiyan – Gujarat
17. Anwar Haque – Aman Biradari
18. Archana Srivastava – – SAHAJ, Vadodara Gujarat
19. Aruna Rodrigues, Madhya Pradesh
20. Asha Mishra –Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti
21. Asima – New Delhi
22. Asha Kilaru, Public Health Researcher
23. Astha Samiti – Kawardha, Chhattisgarh
24. Aysha, New Delhi
25. Bhanu Chauhan – SAHAJ, Vadodara Gujarat
26. Bhavika Patil – SAHAJ, Vadodara Gujarat
27. Bhavna Rajput – SAHAJ, Vadodara Gujarat
28. Bhuvaneswari Sunil – Common Health, CMNHSA
29. Bidyut Mohanty
30. Chandubhai Vankar – SAHAJ, Vadodara Gujarat
31. Charm Shakeel – Jan Swasthya Abhiyan, Bihar
32. Charul – Loknaad, Gujarat
33. Chhaya Pachauli, Prayas (Rajasthan)
34. Chirashree Ghosh, Mobile Crèches
35. CS Verma, JSAUP
36. Debmalya Nandy, Jharkhand, Right to Food Campaign
37. Denny John –  Evidence Synthesis Specialist, Campbell Collaboration, New Delhi
38. Devika Singh – Mobile Crèche’s, New Delhi
39. Dheeraj Bharat – Gurunanak Dev University
40. Dileep Vankar – SAHAJ, Vadodara Gujarat
41. Dilli Rozi Roti Adhikar Abhiyan
42. Dilnavaz Variava, Sahayak Trust, Mumbai
43. Dipa Sinha – Right to Food Campaign
44. Dr Arun Gupta – Central coordinator BPNI, New Delhi

^[1] Adequate diet is defined as Breastfed children receiving 4 or more food groups and a minimum meal frequency, non-breastfed children fed with a minimum of 3 Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices (fed with other milk or milk products at least twice a day, a minimum meal frequency that is receiving solid or semi-solid food at least twice a day for breastfed infants 6-8 months and at least three times a day for breastfed children 9-23 months, and solid or semi-solid foods from at least four food groups not including the milk or milk products food group).