Women, Food and Futures of Nutritional Justice offers a comprehensive and insightful examination of the nutritional challenges, opportunities, and lived realities of farm women in Eastern India. Despite being central to food production, post-harvest operations, and household nutrition management, farm women often remain disadvantaged in access to nutritious food, awareness, health services, and policy support. This book brings their perspectives to the forefront through a rich blend of empirical research and sociocultural context.

Drawing upon extensive field studies carried out in multiple blocks of the Cooch Behar district, the book analyzes key dimensions such as dietary diversity, nutritional status, gender roles, livelihood opportunities, and health-seeking behavior. It integrates concepts from rural sociology, agricultural extension, gender studies, and nutrition science to unravel the multilayered determinants of nutritional security among women in agriculture.

The authors explore the transformative role of farm diversification, homestead/kitchen gardening, women-led Self-Help Groups (SHGs), local food systems, and income-generating activities. They emphasize how enhancing women’s access to knowledge, resources, credit, and training can strengthen household food security and advance community nutrition outcomes. Real-life case studies, success stories, and participatory models from the field illustrate the effectiveness of integrated, gender-sensitive interventions.

With clear policy insights and practical recommendations, this book serves as a vital guide for academicians, students, extension personnel, NGOs, and development practitioners. It meaningfully contributes to national conversations on women’s empowerment, rural development, and sustainable nutrition-sensitive agriculture in India.

Professor Kausik Pradhan, is an erudite personality in the academic world of Agricultural Extension with his constructive thought, extreme mettle of innovative ideas, research acumen and robust diligence in academics. Presently he is working as a Professor, the Department of Agricultural Extension, Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal, India. He has worked as a key trainer in different training programmes on participatory extension and group dynamics as well as strengthening Farmers' Producer Organisations. He has associated with more than six (6) mega nationally and internationally funded research and development projects including the ICAR-National Agricultural Science Fund project. He has developed his expertise in the areas of Technology Socialisation, Women empowerment, Micro planning, Entrepreneurship management, Natural Resource Management, Value addition and Supply Chain Management, Participatory Extension, Market-led Extension, need-based technology delivery model through Farmers' Producer Organisations. The need-based extension delivery models through Farmers' Producer Organisations are acknowledged by Indian Council of Agricultural Research as Innovative technologies. He has also been an integral part of several trainings, workshops and conferences on Food System Innovation, Sustainable Resilient Farming Systems in Australia, Nepal and Bangladesh. Presently he is serving as the Chief Editor of the prestigious journal, Indian Research Journal of Extension Education. He served as the Associate Editor of more than five National and International Journals. To his credit he has published so far 147 (one hundred forty-seven) numbers of research papers in reputed national and international journals, contributed 27 (twenty-seven) chapters in different renowned books and co-authored 10 (ten) books. Different national-level academic societies also recognize his contribution by conferring awards namely Young Scientist Award, Science Excellence Award, Best Extension Professional Award and many more. He is the prestigious Fellow of International Society for Research and Development, Scholars Academic and Scientific Society and Society of Extension Education.

Karishma Baidya is an experienced agricultural professional with a strong educational background. She completed her BSc in Agriculture from Indira Gandhi Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Raipur, and MSc in Agriculture Extension from Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, West Bengal. She has earned her PhD from Indira Gandhi Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Raipur, where she conducted research on the “Study on Awareness and Adaptation of Climate Smart Agricultural Practices by the Farmers of Chhattisgarh Plains”. Dr. Baidya had qualified for the ICAR AIEEA-PG-2016 and received a National Fellowship in Social Science under the ICAR-National Talent Scholarship (NTS). In addition, she also possesses NSS Certificates 'B' and 'C', which reflects her active and deep participation in community service. She has also authored many research papers, book chapters and articles on various topics in the field of agriculture. She has co-authored a book titled ‘Emerging Trends and Technologies in Agriculture’, published by IIP (Iterative International Publishers). With her knowledge and research in climate-smart agriculture, she aims to support farmers and promote sustainable farming practices.

Chigilipalli Mounika holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Horticulture from Dr. YSR Horticultural University, V.R. Gudem, and an M.Sc. in Agricultural Extension from Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth, Parbhani. She qualified the ASRB NET in Agricultural Extension in 2023 and UGC-NET (June 2025) in Adult Education.  Currently, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Agricultural Extension at Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya (UBKV), Pundibari, West Bengal. She has actively participated in numerous national and international (online and offline) seminars, conferences, and workshops, where she has presented her research findings. Her academic contributions include the publication of book chapters, popular articles, meeting note and research papers in reputed journals, particularly in the domains of agricultural Extension, soft skills and climate change. She has also undergone various trainings focused on statistical tools, software applications, and recent advancements in Agricultural Extension.

Chapter 1. Context
Chapter 2. Prologue
Chapter 3. Research Synthesis
Chapter 4. Theory Consulted
Chapter 5. Research Setting
Chapter 6. Methods and Techniques 
Chapter 7. Empirical Outcome 
Chapter 8. Epilogue
Chapter 9. Bibliography