CHENNAI: The George Institute for Global Health India has collaborated with international partners to develop a set of practical tools to help researchers and policymakers better understand how people in India and other low and middle-income countries access food from diverse food environments that eventually contribute to the nutritional status of the population.

Published in Current Developments in Nutrition, the study features contributions from Dr Suparna Ghosh-Jerath from The George Institute for Global Health India in a study led by Dr Shauna Downs at Rutgers School of Public Health. This study offers key insights into how food environments influence diets and nutrition, guiding efforts to combat malnutrition.

India, like many LMICs, is witnessing rapid and complex changes in its food environment — the interface through which people access food, whether from markets, natural surroundings, or social networks. Over the last few decades, traditional diets and food systems have shifted towards a greater reliance on markets and supermarkets. However, this change has not necessarily translated into better nutrition. On the contrary, the country continues to face the burden of both undernutrition and rising diet-related diseases.