What underlies inadequate and unequal fruit and vegetable consumption in India? An exploratory analysis

Samira Choudhury; Bhavani Shankar; Lukasz Aleksandrowicz; Mehroosh Tak; Rosemary Green; Francesca Harris; Pauline Scheelbeek; Alan Dangour

doi:10.1016/j.gfs.2019.100332

What underlies inadequate and unequal fruit and vegetable consumption in India? An exploratory analysis

Glob Food Sec. 2020 Mar:24:100332. doi: 10.1016/j.gfs.2019.100332.

Authors

Samira Choudhury¹, Bhavani Shankar¹, Lukasz Aleksandrowicz², Mehroosh Tak¹, Rosemary Green², Francesca Harris², Pauline Scheelbeek², Alan Dangour²

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Development, Environment and Policy, School of Oriental & African Studies, London, WC1H 0XG, UK.
² Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.

Abstract

Adequate consumption of fruit and vegetables is key to improved diet-related health in India. We analyse fruit and vegetable consumption in the Indian population using National Sample Survey data. A series of regressions is estimated to characterise the distribution of household fruit and vegetable consumption and explore key socio-economic and food system drivers of consumption. Household income and price are important correlates, but consumption is also higher where households are headed by females, are rural, or involve agricultural livelihoods. Caste is an important source of inequality, particularly amongst those with low consumption, with Scheduled Tribes consuming less F&V than others. We also find preliminary evidence that formal agricultural market infrastructure is positively associated with fruit and vegetable consumption in India.

Keywords: Food systems; Fruit and vegetable consumption; India; Nutrition.