Odisha's Kondh women lead a kitchen revolution in their backyards

Overcoming taboos and becoming more knowledgeable about abundant local foods, malnourished Kondh people in Odisha are bringing diversity to their food baskets through backyard kitchen gardens

Kaikeyi Majhi of Kalahandi's Kamegaon village irrigates
her kitchen garden. © Basudev Mahapatra

“Unless we consume a variety of foods that include vegetables and greens, pulses and legumes, and meat and fish along with rice, where will we get adequate nutrition? How can our children have proper physical and cognitive growth?” asked Golapi Kanhar.

The question from Golapi Kanhar (35) of remote Kasirikhol village in Kandhamal district, a Kondh woman with primary education, reflects increasing awareness about nutrition and food diversity within the community.

Malnutrition continues to be a threat 70 years after independence

Even though it's the fastest growing economy in the world, malnutrition in India still kills millions each year. This issue became even more stark when 19 tribal children died in a single village.

Did Dana Majhi's wife die of hunger, malnourishment?

Questions that linger about death of Dana Majhi's wife are whether this is another case of death due to malnutrition and hunger? Did the hospital authorities knowingly admitted her in the TB ward to show it as a death due to TB and to hide the real reasons that would expose bigger failures of the Odisha government

Odisha Farmers Struggle for Survival

The state and central governments are likely to increase the focus on agriculture in their budgets. But the question remains: when will farmers receive the benefits of all these plans and programmes, and more importantly, how will they overcome the present crisis?