Publication

Abstract : Background Current food system transformation efforts often fail to adequately address the lived realities of vulnerable rural communities, particularly women and children in developing countries. Predominantly production-centered and economically driven approaches frequently overlook local food cultures, behavioral realities, caregiving systems, and community knowledge, contributing to declining dietary diversity, dependence on external interventions, and the growing coexistence of undernutrition, obesity, and other nutrition-related health challenges. Objectives This study aimed to develop a Participatory Consumption-Centered Food System Framework (PCCFSF) that integrates systems thinking, participatory approaches, and nutrition-sensitive assessments to analyse rural food systems and support the co-creation of sustainable and context-sensitive food security solutions within vulnerable communities. Methods The framework was developed through field immersion and community engagement in vulnerable rural communities across Bihar, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha, India. A participatory and systems-oriented approach was employed using focus group discussions, in-depth stakeholder interviews, qualitative system mapping, and ABCD (anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, and dietary) assessments. The framework further integrated ethnographic immersion, stakeholder participation, systems thinking, and iterative feedback processes to analyse interactions between food behaviors, socio-cultural systems, institutional structures, and nutritional outcomes. Results The study proposes an eight-step iterative framework that shifts food system analysis from production-centered interventions toward lived consumption realities and community-driven transformation pathways. Field interactions highlighted interconnected challenges including poor dietary diversity, institutional disconnects, changing food behaviors, dependence on external interventions, and the coexistence of undernutrition and obesity within vulnerable communities. The framework identified the importance of culturally grounded participation, local institutional coordination, and community knowledge systems in strengthening sustainable food and nutrition systems. Conclusion The PCCFSF contributes a practical and adaptable framework for participatory rural food system transformation by positioning communities as active participants rather than passive beneficiaries. By integrating systems thinking with lived community realities, the framework offers a participatory and context-sensitive approach for analyzing food and nutrition security challenges and supporting the identification of locally appropriate pathways for action within vulnerable rural communities.