Food Production and Nutrition

Dependence of adequate nutritional status on food production and availability. Focus on constraints to food production: land tenure, farm credit, lack of farm mechanization, inadequate weed control, inadequate plant and animal disease control, damage to crops and animals by insects, pests. Solutions to food shortage problems.  Better crop production through the use of improved planting materials and systems, herbicides, insecticides and proper storage of agricultural products. Issues of biotechnology (bio fortification, concept of diversity, GMOs etc.). Focus on problems affecting food production solutions to food shortage. Post-harvest handling and nutritive value of food (food enrichment).  Emerging Issues: Globalization (Effect on food production). Nutrition security.  It also deals with government efforts at increasing food availability and ensuring food security.