A dimension within Forest Food Security
This theme focuses on preventing child malnutrition through effective mid-day meal programs, food policy, and leveraging forest foods.
150 voices speak to this
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Positive
Overall Community Sentiment
AI-synthesised pieces woven from many community voices on this theme. They may contain errors or interpretation — they're a reflection of the stories, not a record of fact.
By incorporating local, traditional grains like ragi and millet into school lunch programs, communities can significantly improve children's health and well-being.
Our community advocates for the integration of traditional, locally sourced foods into public programs to nourish children and preserve cultural heritage for future generations.
To preserve our health and culture, we advocate for the inclusion of native, nutritious grains in public food programs.
By cherishing and utilizing the traditional foods and herbs found in our forests and lands, we can sustain ourselves and combat malnutrition while preserving our natural heritage.
Forest yam is a nutritious food. So, we request the government to add it to PDS and Midday Meal programs.
— Sita Behera · Dashapalla, Nayagarh, Odisha
Sir, what kind of nutritious food should the government provide us through PDS? And in schools, definitely in the midday meal, and millet, root vegetables, then forest produce, which are fruits, if these are definitely given to the students as encouragement, then the children's malnutrition can be eliminated.
— Dillip pujari · Phiringia, Kandhamal, Odisha
In my village, there are many wild fruits and vegetables that should be included in school meals, in the midday meal. This is a request to the government.
— Jaya · Noida, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh
I think Nija Pradhan, Raike, Kandamula, and generally for lunch for children, we are requesting the government to include Mandia, Kandamula, forest fruits, Kendu, Sadhe Ganga, Amla, and various other types of roots which are Loeraka and Napanga, and when given to children, children get protein, because these are not refined foods, therefore we are requesting the government to include them in the mid-day meal.
— RITARANI PRADHAN · Raikia, Kandhamal, Odisha
If millet, maize, cashew, pigeon pea, Judung, etc., are included as forest foods in the mid-day meal, it will encourage the government.
— Samana Mandangi
The most nutritious locally edible forest food items should be included in PDF mid-day meals, and the government wants to promote their nutritional value for children.
— Laxmanlal
Government, please confirm with your people. Provide food and local forest food for the people under the PDS mid-day meal scheme. If it is provided from your side, the people will be able to sell it.
— Kanaka Pradhan · Balangir, Odisha
We can promote the forest-based nutritious food found on Amar's website to the government for programs like PDS midday meals.
— Kanaka Pradhan
It would be good if the government provides forest foods like honey, Chaar, and Kendu as food in the midday meal.
— Priti majhi
The govt should include green leaves, roots and millers can be introduced in PDS and MDM for better protein adding in infant food.
— Bindhani Bibhuti · Tamando, Khordha, Odisha
It would be good if the government provides forest foods like Mahua, Chhar, and Kendu as food in the MDM (Mid-Day Meal scheme).
— Priti majhi
It would be good if the government promoted these most nutritious forest foods like bananas, karadi, and kandhamula in PDS (Public Distribution System) and mid-day meals.
— anita khora · Sutipadar, Koraput, Odisha
Local forest food is available. It should be included through PDS and in meals, and the government should promote it.
— Laxmanlal
Request to the government: It would be good if forest products like Mahua, Char, Kendu, and Kaku were made into ladoos and provided in the BDS mid-day meal.
— Priti majhi
Request to the government: It would be good if forest products like Mahul, Chara, Kina, and Kaku were made into ladoos and given in BDS midday meals.
— Priti majhi
The government should include millet in PDS or mid-day meals.
— Kusha Mahakud
The government should promote the most nutritious foods easily available in our region, such as kodo, kutki, maize, along with tur dal, gram, and horse gram lentils, and include them in PDS and mid-day meals.
— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
To include forest-based foods like Mahua ladoo, Char ladoo, Phuljhi, etc., in PDS and midday meals.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
Include forest-based food items such as Mahua laddoo, Chaar laddoo, Fuljhi, etc., in the Public Distribution System (PDS) and mid-day meals.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
The forest contains nutritious foods like Pitalu, Baya, Tunga, Water Yam, Elephant Foot Yam, Bitter Ginari greens, Putukuli, Honey, Amla, Bahada, and Kendu. The government should consider adding some of these to the PDS (Public Distribution System).
— Prasanna Pradhan · Mayurbhanj, Odisha
It would be good if all the nutritious foods found in the forest such as Lepherasā, Kachar sāg, Gukurijīv sāg, Kaḍī, Heḍuā, Chhati, Ruguḍā are added to the Mid-Day Meal PDS.
— RINA BEHERA · Hemagiri, Sundargarh, Odisha
If we talk about the most nutritious food, if the government provides our forest products like Mahul, Char, and Kendu as food in MDM (Mid-Day Meal), then children will eat it and become intelligent.
— Priti majhi
Request to the government: It would be good if food prepared from ragi/millet is provided in PDS midday meals.
— PRADEEP KUMAR KANHAR · Boudh, Odisha
If the government provides forest food like honey and some other forest produce as part of the midday meal, it would be good.
— Priti majhi
Among forest products, Mahua is also a nutritious food. It would be good if the government utilizes this Mahua in various ways and provides it in school mid-day meals.
— Anjana Khadia · Sundargarh, Odisha
The government should add seasonal fruits like Jamun, mango, ber, katola vegetable, Vegri Doda vegetable, indigenous mushrooms, bael fruit, mahua kheer, Kalthiya ki ghugri, kodo, batti, bhadi (little millet), etc., to forest food items in PDS and MDM.
— Surajsingh Parmar · Alirajpur, Madhya Pradesh
It would be good if forest products like Mahula, Char, and Kendu were provided in mid-day meals through PDS.
— Priti majhi
Speaking of the most nutritious food, if the government provides our forest products like Mahul, Char, Kendu, etc., as food in MDM (Mid-Day Meal), children will eat them and become intelligent/wise.
— Priti majhi
It would be good if the government provided highly nutritious foods like banana, sweet potato, yam, and sago through PDS in mid-day meals.
— anita khora · Sutipadar, Koraput, Odisha
Fruits obtained from the forest are also important for the physical and mental development of children and for providing nutrition; the government should include them as traditional food items in school mid-day meals.
— Anil Pargi · Maliya Dokar, Banswara, Rajasthan
The traditional nutritious food of our community like Kodo, Kutki, maize, sorghum, wheat, arhar, sesame, masoor, moong, chana, batla etc. should be included in PDS (Public Distribution System) and mid-day meals, and the government should promote them.
— Rupesh Maravi · Mandla, Madhya Pradesh
If forest foods like Char, Mahua, Kendu, Mango, and Jam are added to PDS and mid-day meals, consumers will get nutritious food.
— RINA BEHERA · Sundargarh, Odisha
Amla pickle should be included in mid-day meals among local forest food items, and traditional produce like Kodo, Kutki, maize, and pulses like Kurthi, Moong, Chana, and Rahar should be included in PDS.
— Rupesh Maravi
The roots, herbs, and water chestnuts found in the forest are very vitamin-rich and nutritious foods. It would be good if these were provided in PDS and as midday meals for school children.
— Sushama Digal · Dashapalla, Nayagarh, Odisha
It would be good if forest products like Mahul, Char, and Kendu are provided through the PDS system for mid-day meals.
— Priti majhi
The local forest foods most crucial for tackling severe malnutrition are Charo, Kendu, and Pitalukanda, which should be promoted by the government by providing them in PDS and midday meals.
— Pankajini Chhatria
Our traditional crops like Kodo, Kutki, maize, Rahar, Kurthi, chickpeas, and other pulses should also be given in schools and Anganwadi centers under the Midday Meal Scheme, and they should also be promoted by the government.
— Rupesh Maravi · Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh
Millet food should be included in PDS and mid-day meals.
— Tankeswar Kumar · Kalahandi, Odisha
Kodo, kutki, maize, and sorghum porridge, and also indigenous pulses, should be included in the midday meal, and it would be very good if the government promotes them.
— Rupesh Maravi · Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh
If the government distributes forest foods like Mahua, Kendu, and other such forest produce to children as PDS food.
— Priti majhi
The voices in this theme were gathered by these organisations through their community reports.
