Having looked into briefly (Table 1), the connections between poverty, hunger and poor nutrition, it is worth looking into the other factors in the food system that affect nutritional status of individuals and communities. By a ‘food system’ we mean the system comprising the production, distribution, consumption and nbiological utilisation of food, Figure 1 shows a few of the key relationships in a simple way. Figure 2 is a more detailed representation of of factors in the food system that afect nutritional status.

The nutritional effects of any policy or programme that is intended to change food supply is distributed among the malnourished and the well nourished, among the poor and the rich, or, even among varying degrees of the malnourished. Increased incomes in even a poor community may result in items of luxurious consumption or on items irrelevant to nutritional needs. Increased food supply in a houehold may still not improve the nutritional status of the girl children and women if they continue to be given secondary prefeence as before. The person, who controls the income in the household often determines the pattern of food supply in the household. Programmes intended to give control over resources and benefits to women is a poor community have a better chance therefore of bettering the nutritional status of children and that of women too (see Table2).

Table 2
Women, Land and the Law

One of the major steps on the way to completeland reforms is to give women equal title to land. The Kerala State Government took aright step in this directionin July,1989. The relevant GO published from the Gazette Extraordinary of July 22, 1989, is reproduced below.

G.O.(P)No.555/89/RD Dated, Trivandrum 11th July,1989

S.R.O.No.1272/89,.- In exercise of the powers conferred by section 129 of the Kerla Land Reforms Act,1963( 1 of 1964) the Government of Kerala hereby make the following rules further to amend the Kerala Land Reforms (Ceiling)Rules,1970 published as S.R.O. No.15/70 in the Kerala Gazette Extraordinary No.12 dated the 1st January 1970, as subsequently amended, namely:-

Rules

1. Short title and commencement.-
   
   
   
   1. These rules may be called the Kerala Land Reforms (Ceiling) Amendment Rules,1989.
      
   2. They shall come into force atonce.
   
   
2. Amendments of the Rules- In the Kerala Land Reforms (Ceiling)Rules, 1970.-
   
   
   
   1. To sub-rule (1) of rule 30 the following explanation shall be added, namely:-
      "Explanation,- Where a person eligible to be included in the list is married and living with his wife, the joint names of the husband and wife shall be included in the list":
      
   2. in rule 31,- to sub-rule (1) the following proviso shall be added, namely :-
      
      
      
      1. "Provided that where the joint names of the husband and wife are included in the list the offer shall be made to both"
         
      2. to sub-rule (2),the following proviso shall be added ,namely:-
         "Provided that where the offer is made to both husband and wife under the proviso to sub-rule (1) the land specified in the offer shall be assigned on registry and the deed of assinment executed in the joint names of both on payment or deposit of the purchase price under this rule by either of them.
         
      3. to sub-rule (9) the following explanation shall be added, namely:- "Explanation,-Where the assinment deed is executed in the joint names of the husband and wife patta shall be issued in the joint names of the husband and wife."

The Government of India also requested to give due consideration to this policy directive of the 6th Plan and to take appropriate action. Hence it has been decided to make the suitable amendments to the K.L.R.(Ceiling0Rules 1970, so that titles can be issued to husband and wife surplus lands are distributed.

The notification is intended to achieve the above purpose.