Top News

Across India, millions of infants are beginning life on increasingly fragile ground. Their ‘first foods’ with the grains, pulses, and fruits that shape early growth is under constant threat from climate shocks.

Heatwaves spoil food before it is eaten, erratic monsoons flood homes and fields, and price surges put even the most basic staples out of reach. By their first birthday, many children are already missing out on the vital nutrition their bodies and brains need most.

Silent crisis unfolding across India

Climate shocks are colliding with the critical window of complementarity, the 6 to 24-month period that forms the core of the first 1,000 days of life. Beyond six months, breastmilk alone no longer suffices: it provides only about 500 kcal and 5 grams of protein a day, far short of an infant’s actual needs of 650–720 kcal and 9–10.5 grams of protein.

Infants also require micronutrients at levels 5–10 times higher than adults on a body-weight basis, making it essential that their foods are nutrient-dense and protein-rich to prevent growth faltering.

Role of complementary foods

This is where complementary foods come in: cereals or millets, pulses, eggs or meat, nuts and seeds, vegetables, and fruits introduced daily. Indian dietary guidelines capture this through the concept of Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD), a child is considered to meet MDD when they consume at least five food groups each day, ensuring dietary quality, variety, and adequate feeding frequency.

Reality check

However, the reality of MDD is far from ideal for a baby born into an average Indian family, as multiple factors disrupt the availability of diverse foods. In 2024, confirmed by NASANOAA, and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) as the hottest year on record, India experienced extreme heatwaves and erratic rainfall, which drove food inflation into double digits.

Vegetable prices in some months soared by more than 40 per cent, pushing protein-rich and perishable foods such as eggs, milk, and pulses far beyond the reach of many families. The Economic Survey 2024–25 itself partly attributed this surge in food inflation to adverse weather conditions and supply chain disruptions. While policies and guidelines emphasise dietary diversity, for low-income households it often remains aspirational rather than achievable.

In practice, many infants, especially during extreme weather events, fall short of MDD not due to lack of awareness but because of lack of access and affordability. When climate volatility disrupts supplies and inflation erodes purchasing power, families are left with little choice but to make do with whatever food they can find.

Disruptions during the critical window of complementary feeding can cause irreversible losses to a child’s growth and development. It is a truth we can no longer afford to ignore. As per the recent report of NFHS-5 (2019-21), India is already paying a heavy price: 35.5 per cent of children under five are stunted, 19.3 per cent are wasted, and 32.1 per cent are underweight.

The evidence on the causal relationship between climate volatility and nutritional security is not abstract. Scientific studies on India and South Asia paint a stark picture: exposure to precipitation extremes in the first year of life significantly decreases a child’s height-for-age, a key indicator of chronic undernutrition or stunting. The most critical period is infancy, where a study in Kerala found that babies exposed to a flood were 12 per cent more likely to become stunted.

Our response

India’s response to child malnutrition has long been anchored in two of the world’s most ambitious social welfare programs: the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and Poshan Abhiyaan. The 50-year milestone of ICDS stands as a testament to the nation’s enduring commitment to early childhood development. As one of the world’s largest and most far-reaching outreach programs, it provides a vital safety net for millions of families. Poshan Abhiyaan, with its focus on technology and community-driven engagement, has also been a landmark initiative. Yet, despite these monumental achievements, critical gaps remain that undermine efforts to curb the malnutrition crisis. The Climate Change in Governance report by NITI Aayog observes that ICDS has “no component/strategy that addresses climate change.” Take-home rations often spoil in the heat; Anganwadi’s close during floods; and when food prices soar, families are unable to supplement diets with milk, eggs, or vegetables. Unless these vulnerabilities are addressed, India’s flagship nutrition programs will remain exposed to the very shocks that increasingly define our reality.

Way ahead

To power the next 50 years, ICDS must evolve from being only a safety net into a proactive, climate-resilient nutrition system that protects every child’s first foods. This requires reforms that strengthen existing structures with evidence-based innovations designed to anticipate shocks rather than merely respond after damage is done.

Some practical fixes are already visible: in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh, women-led self-help groups supply ready-to-eat meals to thousands of Anganwadis, showing that decentralised production can keep nutrition flowing even when larger supply chains falter. Building on such models, ICDS could pre-position rations using IMD’s seasonal forecasts, diversify menus with millets and pulses through state procurement, and contract local SHGs and farmer producer organizations to deliver fortified mixes that are both culturally acceptable and reliable.

Low-cost storage innovations such as insulated boxes and waterproof ration kits, which could safeguard supplies during floods or heatwaves without demanding heavy infrastructure. Climate-proofing India’s first foods is not just a policy aspiration but a test of our collective commitment to resilience, equity, and prosperity.

The real measure of progress will be a nutrition safety net that guarantees every child, no matter where or when they are born, access to safe, diverse, nutrient-rich foods, even when the rains fail or the mercury soars.

Ravneet Kaur is the Associate Portfolio Manager, Evidence 2 Impact, Swasti Health Catalyst

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of Buzz