Kudumbashree - Kerala's women-led poverty eradication and empowerment program with significant influence on the state's food system.

Empower women through community-based organizations and enhance local food systems. The food policies and schemes implemented by the Kerala government are closely associated with or implemented through the Kudumbashree initiative.

Launched in 1997 by the Kerala State Poverty Eradication Mission to address poverty through women's empowerment and community action. Later it acts as a bridge between various policies, especially in translating policy intentions into ground-level changes in the food environment.

The policy is monitored by the Government of Kerala and Monitoring and State Poverty Eradication Mission, with support from local self-government institutions. The responsibility in maintaining the smooth running of the policy is decentralised to every levels from municipalities to panchayats.

It has established community kitchens, promoted organic farming, and created food processing units run by women's self-help groups. Measurable results include increased income for participating women, improved food security in local communities, and the establishment of numerous micro-enterprises in the food sector. Women's empowerment, poverty reduction, and sustainable local food systems later became its major role. While largely successful, some unintended effects have been reported, such as increased workload for women and occasional conflicts within groups. Overall, Kudumbashree has transformed the local food landscape while empowering women economically and socially.

www.kudumbashree.org