Consortium meeting of Advisory Group (CAG) of Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asian (LANSA)

University of Agriculture Faisalabad Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan has been elected Chairman of Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asia (LANSA). It was announced at a consortium meeting of Advisory Group (CAG) of Leveraging Agriculture for Nutrition in South Asian (LANSA) held at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad attended by agriculture, food and nutrition experts from India, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. LANSA is an international research partnership working in South Asia on finding out how agriculture and agri-food systems can be better designed to advance nutrition. It is focusing on policies, interventions and strategies that can improve the nutritional status of children in South Asia. Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said over the half of population in South Asia is facing the threat of malnutrition, responsible for many diseases. It demands enhanced collaborated efforts on the part of scientists and other stakeholders. Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan said that population was in the grip of the deficiency of vitamins and nutrition, adding that tangible researches and dissemination would pave the way of the development for the countries. He said that to achieve the goal of ending malnutrition by 2030, the countries would have to take stepped up joint efforts in this regard. India renowned scientist Dr MS Swaminathan said the modern agricultural and rural development and dissemination of technology would improve lives and livelihoods of rural communities. He stressed upon the need to collaborate in the areas of nutrition, agricultural and food. He said that in the agriculture, fertilized soil is very important as the soil was the important thing in this regard. Vice Chancellor Kandhar University Afghanistan Dr Hakimi said that strengthen extension system was also vital to cope educate the farming community about the latest agriculture practices in order. He said that it is the good sign that despite the decreasing land, the agricultural production is increasing in the region. Dr Syedduzzaman from Lansa Bangladesh said that the three research themes of the Lansa are agri-food value chins, enabling environment for nutrition, and nutrition sensitive agriculture. Haris Gazdar from Lansa Pakistan said three cross cutting themes of LANSA program titled Improving Nutrition through agriculture are gender and nutrition; innovation systems; and fragility. Prof Dr Mahendra Dev, Dr Ajay Parida, Ms RV Bhavani, Dr Prakash Shetty, Dr VP Singh from India, Prof Dr. Masood Sadiq Butt DG NIFSAT, Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad Chatha Director External Linkages, Dr. Asif Ali Director ORIC from UAF also spoke on the occasion.