same story half a world away

The NYT recently ran this article on malnutrition in India that features my incredibly talented friend and fellow Cornell alumni PM. Despite rapid economic growth, a stable government and a national program to combat malnutrition, childhood malnutrition rates remain incredibly high across India. They are comparable to some of the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa. As the article says, the reasons behind this are complex - but generally challenge the thinking that national economic growth will be sufficient for promoting food security and child survival through predominantly market-driven means.