National indigenous food initiative needed: MP minister

The Centre should launch a national indigenous food initiative to identify and study traditional and regional foods having better nutritional benefits, Madhya Pradesh Welfare and Child Development Minister Archana Chintis said today.
"A national indigenous food initiative should be launched by the Central government to identify and study the traditional and regional foods with their nutritional benefits to enable dissemination and incorporating them into regional diets," Chintis said.
She said this after reading the 'Umiam declaration' adopted at the national seminar on nutrition sensitive agriculture here.
The declaration sought adoption of traditional wisdom and their implementation in contemporary agricultural policies and practices, Chnitis said.

"We need to adopt a holistic approach towards providing food and nutrition to every Indian and this can be achieved by following the philosophy of integral humanism," the Minister said.
'Integral humanism' is a precept of the BJP presented by Deendayal Upadhyay in 1965.
"We need a paradigm shift to nutrition security based on diversity for balanced, complete and integral nutritional to achieve the holistic development of mind, body, soul and the intellect," Chintis said.
The seminar was attended by policy makers, agriculture scientists, environmentalists, ayurveda doctors and others.