Rainbow Diet Campaign: Government started Rainbow Diet campaign in tribal areas to remove malnutrition

The Rainbow Diet Campaign aims to popularize biofortified tubers and value-added products made from them among tribal communities to combat malnutrition and ensure a balanced diet.

An agricultural research institute of the central government has launched an ambitious campaign in a village in Attappady, one of the tribal areas of Kerala, to promote the health and well-being of tribals. ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI), Thiruvananthapuram in collaboration with Regional Agricultural Research Station (RARS), Pattambi has recently launched a program called 'Rainbow Diet Campaign'.

The administration issued an official release stating that this is a field intervention program of ICAR-CTCRI to promote the production and use of biofortified Tuber Crops varieties developed in UGC.

Nutrient-rich tuber crops such as orange and purple flash sweet potatoes (rich in vitamin A and anthocyanins) and purple flash yam (rich in anthocyanins) were introduced to Sholayur and Attappady in Palakkad, officials said . Introduced in the tribal areas of Pulimala regions. Tuber Crops Rainbow Diet was prepared and introduced from food products developed from biofortified sweet potato, cassava and millet. It aims to provide balanced nutrition to address the issue of malnutrition in Attapadi.

The press release states that at present, the Rainbow Diet campaign project is being implemented through three special programs - Nutriseed Village, School Connect program and Capacity Plus. Under the Nutriseed Village Scheme, 24 tribal farmers from Vayalur and Chittoor villages are producing quality planting material of biofortified sweet potato varieties Bhu Sona, Bhu Ja, Bhu Kanti (orange flesh) and Bhu Krishna (purple flesh).

Nutrition Awareness Campaign on Tuber Crops

Launching the program at a stakeholders meeting held at Kerala Institute of Local Administration (Kila) campus, Dr. G. Byju, Director, ICAR-CTCRI said that at RARS, Pattambi to promote tribal entrepreneurship A new Satellite Incubation Center will be set up. At least 170 farmers and other stakeholders participated in the meeting.

A nutrition awareness program on biofortified tuber crops was also organized at Malleswara Vidyaniketan, Nellipathy Basti to promote healthy eating among school children. Inaugurating the program, Byju talked about implementing a three-tier strategy to promote biofortified crops in the school. After the launching ceremony, students planted biofortified sweet potato varieties in the school garden. About 100 students participated in this function.

Campaign to be implemented in Odisha as well

ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) is gearing up to expand its tuber crop-based 'Rainbow Diet' campaign to more areas of the country with tribal population.CTCRI officials said That CTCRI will start operations in Odisha in the current financial year and plans to cover nine districts of that state by the end of 2024-25. The director of the institute G. Byju said the initiative was aimed at popularizing biofortified tubers and value-added products made from them among tribal communities to combat malnutrition and ensure a balanced diet.

News is originally taken from: https://www.gnttv.com/india/story/icar-ctcri-started-rainbow-diet-campaign-in-tribal-areas-to-eradicate-malnutrition-601283-2023-06-20

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