NUTRI GARDEN

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Woman and Child Development minister inaugurated Nutri Garden at All India Institute of Ayurveda to mark the beginning of Poshan Maah – 2021.

It will provide knowledge about how the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda intervention can be effectively utilized to address the nutrition requirement of the nation.
The Minister of State had highlighted the nutritional and medicinal importance of few Ayurvedic herbs like Shigru, Shatavari, Ashwagandha, Amala, Tulasi, Haldi.
He also emphasised on importance of promoting evidence-based Ayurveda nutrition practices for holistic wellbeing of mother and child.

A nutri-garden project is a cost-effective model to grow nutrient-rich crops for personal or community consumption to promote good health and well-being.
It helps tackle both under-nutrition and over-nutrition by adopting a sustainable life cycle approach.
Nutri Garden Odisha is one such successful model.

A Nutri Garden project must have children as the primary participants, and should be executed in a phased manner.

Phase 1

Nutri Garden in Anganwadi: The project should be undertaken in a few government schools and Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) across a district.
It will encourage local availability of diversified vegetables for mid-day meals.
Its successful implementation would require convergence among the different departments namely, agriculture, horticulture and other related functionaries.
It will enhance nutritional literacy among students, and make them understand the basis of choice of crops (based on season and topography) and their nutritional content.
Based on the outcomes and learning from the pilot, the project should further be scaled-up to include all government schools in the district.

Phase 2

Under this phase, the project could be extended to private schools, which could adopt the culture of nutri-gardens.
Learning by doing approach: Schools should create nutri-clubs as part of extra-curricular activities and promote organic farming as part of the curriculum.

It promotes safe and healthy eating habits among students.
It provides nutritious food that can address micro & macro nutrient deficiencies and hidden hunger in children.
It provides better use of vacant land lying idle at the schools and AWCs (Aangan Waadi Centres).
It also ensures an inexpensive, regular and handy supply of fresh vegetables, which are basic to nutrition.
It brings diversification in the menu of mid-day meals at government schools and AWCs.
It turns children into catalysts who promote awareness and behavioural changes in society.

Lack of availability of vacant land, water and other necessary infrastructure to create a nutri-garden.
Insufficient funds from the administration.
Unmotivated staff at AWCs and schools due to their existing workload and no absence of incentives
Difficulty in bringing government functionaries on a single platform to effectively implement the concept.