India: Using environmental protection to combat malnutrition

Terre des Hommes Germany supports three partner organizations in northern India that ensure 3,400 children in approximately 2,300 households have access to healthy food. Organic farming methods help local smallholder farmers increase their yields while protecting the environment in the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. Using agricultural processing machinery, which the women farmers learn to operate, they can preserve food for their families and also process it for sale, thereby earning their own income. This not only helps the families but also strengthens the economic position of the women and, consequently, their social standing.

Furthermore, they are trained to monitor whether the financial support promised by the state for schools and kindergartens actually arrives – an important function for the village community, because thanks to the initiative of the villagers, it can be ensured that the authorities actually make their promised contribution to the fight against malnutrition and undernourishment.

The program is co -financed by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).