Context
The Union Government recently launched the SEHAT Mission to promote healthier food systems and improve public health through agriculture-based interventions.
About SEHAT Mission
- SEHAT Mission (Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation) and is a national mission-mode programme aimed at improving public health through agricultural transformation and scientific innovation.
- The mission has been jointly launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the Indian Council of Medical Research.
- It seeks to promote the vision of “Healthy Food, Healthy Farms and a Healthy India” by integrating agriculture, nutrition and healthcare priorities.
- The programme focuses on developing biofortified and nutrient-rich crop varieties to address malnutrition and improve nutritional security.
- It also encourages integrated farming systems aimed at enhancing farm incomes, promoting dietary diversification and improving agricultural resilience.
- Agricultural research and innovation under the mission are aligned with national priorities such as preventive healthcare, farmer well-being and management of non-communicable diseases.
- The mission supports agriculture-linked strategies for preventing lifestyle-related diseases through the promotion of functional foods and nutritionally superior crops.
- It further emphasises reducing occupational health risks faced by agricultural workers through targeted and evidence-based interventions.
- The programme incorporates the One Health approach by strengthening integrated surveillance, diagnostics and research at the human-animal-environment interface.
