JACKFRUIT - FUTURE FOOD SECURITY: A CASE STUDY OF AYUR JACK FARM OF THRISSUR, KERALA

In the backdrop of climate change, jack fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) plays an important role in ensuring food security. The fruit belongs to the Moraceae family and the largest edible fruit in the world. Its a large ungainly fruit grown across India especially in every part of Kerala and by 2018 Government of Kerala designated Jackfruit as the state fruit. During rainy season jackfruit is a staple food for many communities especially in hilly areas where they can use as supplement food with rice to meet nutrition security especially in tribal areas. Its far more nutritious than mangoes, oranges and other tropical fruits and having all the common starch. Its community food and commonly used by different communities in India, specially communities in hilly areas during rainy season from June –November. The four dimensions of food security, (i.e., Food Availability+ Food Access+ Food Utility + Food Stability) also cope with Environmental influence (Food Consumption +Food Production +Food Distribution). It moves beyond the concept of food supply to provide a comprehensive package for individuals to reach a state of nutritional well-being in which all physiological needs are met. Jack fruit is commercially viable for farmers as an average farmer get 50 kg from each tree and earn Rs 3000 apart from wood for fuel and leaves for domestic animals. It ensures food security in terms of (Food Availability=10,000Kg/Acre Food Access (Appropriate foods for a nutritious diet) =95 kcal Food Utility=40,000 Families/Acre i.e. 4member/Kg and Food Stability= 6 months).A community food system is a food system in which food production, processing, distribution and consumption are integrated to enhance the environmental, economic, social and nutritional health of a particular place (Garrett and Feenstra, 1999) i.e. realizing a food secure community. A food secure community is a place where all community residents obtain a safe, culturally appropriate, nutritionally sound diet through an economically, socially and environmentally sustainable food system that promotes community self-reliance and social justice (Hamm & Bellows, 2002). There are many communities whose staple food is jackfruit. The Kaani tribal community, Kanyakumari forests, of the Western Ghats, were a nomadic tribe solely dependent on Jack fruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), and is a major staple food apart from tapioca. Despite its versatility as a tree species for general afforestation and for agroforestry programs research attention should be given on to involve jack fruit trees under system which are yet to be evolved.