Determinants of Calorie and Protein Intake in Rural India: A Case Study

Using data from the Village Dynamics in South Asia (VDSA) study on rural Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha, this paper has analysed the gap between intake of calorie and protein and the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) by constructing nutrition gap measure. It has also determined the factors that affect calorie and protein adequacy at the household level. The study has shown that that income share from crops has a significant effect on intake of calorie and protein. The smallholders seem to perform better than the marginal farmers in terms of calorie intake. However, asset index has an in significant association with both calorie and protein intake. The price of rice has a significant negative association with calorie and protein intake, implying lower the price of rice, higher is the intake of both the nutrients. Education of head and female members of the household has a positive and significant association with protein intake. Hence, nutritional interventions targeting women can improve the nutritional outcomes. In addition, government investment in major and minor irrigation projects, agricultural research and development and markets can further boost the income from crop production, which can subsequently improve the nutritional outcomes.