Introduction to Minimum Dietary Diversity (MDD) as an SDG Indicator

As part of the 2025 Comprehensive Review of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator framework, the United Nations Statistical Commission adopted minimum dietary diversity (MDD) as a new SDG indicator under SDG Goal 2, which aims for zero hunger by ensuring food security and improved nutrition.

Key Indicators under SDG Goal 2

• Prevalence of undernourishment
• Food insecurity
• Stunting among children
• Malnutrition
• Anaemia in women

Significance of MDD

MDD is expected to capture crucial aspects previously missing in tracking progress towards achieving SDG 2 and the broader 2030 agenda. It will be measured for two groups:

• Children aged 6 to 23 months (MDD-C)
• Women of reproductive age (MDD-W)

Focus on Diet Diversification

With a shift from extreme poverty alleviation to food security, policymakers are emphasizing diet diversification. This change in focus is driven by the evolution of agrifood systems and dietary patterns, highlighting the importance of monitoring dietary diversity for public health outcomes.

Impact of Dietary Diversity

• Associated with reduced mortality
• Lower incidence of diseases
• Improved nutritional and public health outcomes

India's Initiatives and Challenges

The Green Revolution, Public Distribution System (PDS), and the National Food Security Act significantly addressed food shortages and malnutrition in India. Recent reports indicate a decline in hunger and improvements in dietary quality.

Current Dietary Trends

• Increased consumption of animal-sourced protein
• Diets skewed towards subsidized wheat, rice, and sugar
• Poor diet quality with excess carbohydrates, deficient proteins, and vitamins

Challenges

• 55.6% of the Indian population could not afford a healthy diet in 2022
• Recent withdrawal of eggs from midday meals could worsen child undernutrition
• Rising obesity and the spread of ultra-processed foods

Policy Recommendations

Tackling the challenges of balanced nutrition requires:

• Enhancing availability and affordability of diverse food items
• Ensuring diet diversification
• Containing adverse effects of processed foods

Government Initiatives

The government has taken measures to:

• Promote cultivation and consumption of millets
• Procure pulses for PDS distribution
• Implement supplementation and food fortification to address micronutrient deficiencies