Abstract : Dungarpur is a tribal-dominated district of Rajasthan. The district is exemplified by low agriculture productivity, poor irrigation sources, drought, and low infrastructural and market support to the farmers. The majority of farmers in this tribal part of the state are small and marginalized and have experienced age-old deprivation. The Dharampal Satyapal Ltd. (DS Group), as a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has built a model of a three-tier system of wadi cultivation (small orchard to grow fruits and vegetables) to reduce climatic, biological, and market risks and secure livelihoods and nutrition for deprived tribal farmers' families. The study attempted to assess the PAHAL (Promotion of Agriculture and Horticulture for Advancement of Livelihood) project implemented by DS Group in Dungarpur. The exploratory study was conducted using quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection. The 24 dietary recall method and food frequency were used to understand micronutrient intake. An anthropometric data was taken to explore BMI for women and MUAC for children under five years. The study covered 100 samples from the intervention area and 100 from the non-intervention area (control group) to obtain findings based on a case-control strategy. The findings of the study indicate that wadi cultivation has dramatically increased family income through improved production of diversified crops. The family income ranges from 5000-10000 per month exclusively from the sale of wadi produce throughout the year. The availability of varied fruits and vegetables and nutrition awareness resulted in adding diversity of nutritious food to the farmers’ food basket and improved nutritional outcomes among women and children. The anthropometric data indicate the significant contribution of the project in improving nutritional outcomes among women and children of farmers’ families.
Cite : Verma, R., & Verma, R. S. (2024). Sustainable Livelihood And Nutrition Security For Tribal Farmers: Case Study Of Wadi Projects In Dungarpur (1st ed., pp. 114-129). Noble Science Press. https://doi.org/10.52458/9788196919535.nsp2024.eb.ch-10
