The George Institute for Global Health India, in collaboration with international partners, has developed a practical Food Environment Toolkit to help researchers and policymakers better understand how people in India and other low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) access and consume food. The toolkit is designed to assess diverse, dynamic, and informal food environments that significantly influence nutritional outcomes.
Addressing Gaps in Existing Tools
Most existing tools were designed for high-income countries and often fail to reflect the complexity of food environments in LMICs. In response, the new study—published in Current Advances in Nutrition—introduces seven field-tested tools tailored to LMICs. These include:
-
Participatory mapping
-
Seasonal food availability calendars
-
Market mapping
-
Dietary cost assessments
-
Supplier behavior evaluations
“These tools were easy to implement and adaptable across rural, peri-urban, and urban areas in India and Cambodia,” said Dr. Shauna Downs of Rutgers School of Public Health, who led the study. However, some tools performed better in certain settings—for example, seasonal calendars were more useful in rural areas, while supplier assessments were less applicable in formal supermarkets.
A Response to India’s Double Burden of Malnutrition
India is currently grappling with a dual nutritional crisis: undernutrition on one hand, and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and heart disease on the other. Poor diets are a common risk factor for both issues.
Dr. Suparna Ghosh-Jerath, head of the nutrition program at The George Institute India, emphasized the toolkit’s importance: “It helps personalize and improve nutrition policies, shifting the focus from calorie sufficiency to nutritional adequacy, adapted to local food environments.”
Implications for National Nutrition Programs
The toolkit has strong potential to enhance key public health initiatives, including:
POSHAN Abhiyaan
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
Mid-day Meal Program
India’s Public Distribution System (PDS)
By shifting from caloric to nutrient-focused strategies, and aligning government programs with real-world food supply dynamics, the toolkit can help optimize food system efficiency and improve health outcomes.
Toward Smarter, Evidence-Based Nutrition Policies
By collecting data on food access, availability, affordability, and quality, the toolkit allows for more targeted and informed interventions. Experts hope it will guide the development of comprehensive, context-specific strategies to tackle both undernutrition and rising rates of chronic disease in India and similar LMICs.
Related topics: