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Improving Nutrition Through Agriculture & Food Production

TeamAckoMar 27, 2024

When we talk about nutrition, the first thing that comes to mind is the food and its production process. Traditionally, healthcare professionals play a significant role in categorising human nutrition, but farmers and producers are integral parts of producing nutritious foods. They are the foundation of getting good health.

Moreover, with population growth, nutrition improvement strategies are popularly increasing worldwide. In this blog, we will cover how agriculture and food production play a crucial role in improving your nutrition.

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Contents

Why Agriculture and Food Production Matters for Nutrition?
How to Improve Nutrition Through Agriculture and Food Production?
Final Word
Frequently Asked Questions

Why Agriculture and Food Production Matters for Nutrition?

Agriculture is one of the major aspects of human life, as it offers nutrition, economic stability and sustenance to all. It also plays a crucial role in nutrition and global food security. Agriculture provides essential nutrients and is responsible for producing food for people worldwide. It also plays a key role in supplying raw materials for producing food and packaging.

Hence, the significance of agriculture is clear as it provides the necessary vitamins and minerals required to maintain good health and live a sustainable life. It helps people get adequate nutrition to prevent diseases and be productive. Moreover, nutrition is crucial to ensure a healthy lifestyle, as poor nutrition leads to a range of health conditions, such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes and more.

When it comes to nutrition in agriculture, the primary consideration is the availability of essential nutrients, such as potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus. These three macronutrients are necessary for food production, as they help human life to sustain. Without these three macronutrients, producing food through agricultural practices can be difficult, leading to poor health.

Without any say, agriculture is crucial for providing nutrition to people of different ages and backgrounds. Moreover, it is important to provide diversity in the food supply required for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It is an integral part of nutrition and global food security, which one cannot avoid.

How to Improve Nutrition Through Agriculture and Food Production?

In recent years, India observed a significant growth in agricultural productivity due to the support of scientific and systematic improvements. Even after all these, there is room for improving the agriculture practices to improve the citizens’ nutrition.

Moreover, with the rising demands for quantity over quality, the country witnesses a significant disconnect between agriculture and nutrition. However, here are a few ways to converge agriculture and nutrition, leading to a sustainable and healthy lifestyle.

Adaption of New Technologies

Adapting new technologies in agricultural practices improves the nutrition you will receive as a consumer. However, adapting to new technologies depends on various factors such as geographical conditions, socioeconomic conditions, irrigation facilities, crop variety, etc.

The role of adapting new technologies in agriculture can be through various ways, such as using modern farming machines, genetic engineering, applying fertilisers, improving seed varieties, etc. It will increase productivity by preventing soil degradation, reducing the usage of chemicals and using water effectively.

Enhancement of Soil Quality

In the arid areas of India, there is an indiscriminate usage of fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides. The usage of these products in abundance affects food production, which decreases the nutrition one will receive after consuming agricultural products. Hence, it leads to poor nutrition and increases the chances of severe health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, etc.

Hence, soil quality enhancement through microbiology and physics will assist in the nutrition improvement of the food. It will also improve the overall quality of agricultural products and help Indians live a sustainable lifestyle.

Management and Augmentation of Irrigation

In India, one of the largest consumers of water is the agriculture sector, but its limited availability leads to competition between domestic, industrial and agricultural use. A crucial step to avoid this competition is to plan and manage river basins to maintain cooperation while consuming it on a sectoral basis.

Hence, the requirement to augment supply through harvesting rainwater, renovating existing ponds and wells and recharging aquifers. Moreover, farmers should prioritise management through improved irrigation practices, which include drip irrigation and sprinklers. It will require water literacy regulation and movement to use the groundwater to achieve a cooperative use of river, rain, ground, sea and treated sewage water.

Agri-Credit and Crop Insurance

Changes in agri-credit and crop insurance play a significant role in enhancing the productivity of small farms. It enables farmers to receive financial assistance to improve food production, leading to the enhancement of nutrients.

They can purchase agricultural machinery, high-quality seeds, etc., to enhance production levels. Moreover, crop insurance ensures that the farmers do not face losses during unforeseen situations, which may lead to the loss of their crops. Hence, the mechanism and speed of such a process require policymakers to design creative methods to balance the financial system with farmers’ requirements.

Final Word

Hence, agriculture and food production play a crucial role in nutrition improvement. With agriculture, there is little or no food production, which affects people’s nutrition. Hence, improving nutrition through agriculture and food production is significant for living a healthy lifestyle.

Moreover, to secure your health, you can buy health insurance. It will cover expenses arising due to medical treatment or injuries and ensures you do not have to pay anything from your pocket during such emergencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about nutrition through food production and agriculture.

How can agriculture and food production policies improve nutrition?

Agriculture and food production policies that focus on improving productivity and quality of nutrient-rich commodities increase their production and reduce their prices in the market. Moreover, people consuming these rich nutrient commodities help citizens improve their nutrition and live healthily.

What is the relationship between agricultural food and nutrition?

Agriculture and nutrition share a common point, called food. It is the outcome of agricultural practices, and in return, it is a crucial contributor to good nutrition. Without agriculture, there is no or little food, but the food availability from agriculture does not ensure adequate nutrition.

How to enhance agricultural practices to improve food production for rich nutrients?

Farmers can follow these strategies to enhance agricultural practices to improve food production for rich nutrients:

Improve crop breeding to enhance yields.
Increase pasture and livestock productivity.
Adapt to climate changes.
Improve water and soil management.
Plant existing cropland more regularly.

What is the impact of food production on nutrition?

The nutrition level of the food is altered by the processing it undergoes, affecting its nutritional value. Hence, improving the production level ensures there is no reduction in food's nutritional level.

What is the role of nutrition in agriculture?

Agricultural production is crucial for food security, as it ensures that safe and sufficient food is available for people to consume. In the context of nutritional value, food production can improve the food's overall availability, addressing the deficiency in taking nutrients.

Disclaimer: The content on this page is generic and shared only for informational and explanatory purposes. Please consult a doctor before making any health-related decisions.