Technological interventions have helped farmers to achieve much higher productivity, generating the desired income remains a major challenge. Present book contains a total of 36 chapters describing the scalable technologies for the farmers covering all the aspects of important horticultural crops necessary for enhancing farmer's income and nutritional security through molecular biology, production technology, nursery management, protected cultivation, precision farming, organic production, bio-fortification, nutrient management, bio-agents, pests and diseases management, postharvest and value addition, mechanization, internet of things and marketing.

Malnutrition-under nutrition and imbalanced nutrition-is a major health problem in developing and developed countries. The recent National Health Survey-2005-06 says "India loses 2-3 per cent of its GDP every year due to undernutrition among children in the age group of up to two years." According to the report "Nutrition in India" even among wealthy only about 7 percent children between 6 and 24 months receive adequate feeding, health care and environmental health. The FAO of the UN declared 2014 as year of family farming with the intention of making each family a farming unit to meet the nutritional requirement. The Indian National Science Academy focused on micronutrient security as priority for research and action. The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi released two policy papers related to organic farming and related approaches to make homesteads self sustainable. Being a sub-continent enjoying temperate, sub-tropical and tropical climate along with arid climate and a longer coastal eco-system India has the strength of biodiversity, traditional wisdom and adequate natural resources-soil, water and energy. "There is a horticultural remedy for every nutritional malady" says Prof. M.S. Swaminathan. Fruits, vegetables, spices and aromatic plants are the reservoirs of much needed fibre, vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants, lipids, flavourants, odourants and essential phyto-chemicals. Horticulture for Nutrition Security carries 21 chapters authored by 43 well known scientists. Four preambles are added to get the most authoritative information on Nutrition Security. The book has a FOREWORD by Prof. V.L. Chopra, Former Member, Planning Commission (Science) GOI and Former Director General ICAR New Delhi. The book is devoted to Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, the Father of Green Revolution for his commitment to make India hunger free by 2030.

New evidence this year corroborates the rise in world hunger observed in this report last year, sending a warning that more action is needed if we aspire to end world hunger and malnutrition in all its forms by 2030. Updated estimates show the number of people who suffer from hunger has been growing over the past three years, returning to prevailing levels from almost a decade ago. Although progress continues to be made in reducing child stunting, over 22 percent of children under five years of age are still affected. Other forms of malnutrition are also growing: adult obesity continues to increase in countries irrespective of their income levels, and many countries are coping with multiple forms of malnutrition at the same time – overweight and obesity, as well as anaemia in women, and child stunting and wasting.

A growing number of governments, donor agencies, and development organizations are committed to supporting nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) to achieve their development goals. Although consensus exists on pathways through which agriculture may influence nutrition-related outcomes, empirical evidence on agriculture’s contribution to nutrition and how it can be enhanced is still weak. This paper reviews recent empirical evidence (since 2014), including findings from impact evaluations of a variety of NSA programs using experimental designs as well as observational studies that document linkages between agriculture, women’s empowerment, and nutrition. It summarizes existing knowledge regarding not only impacts but also pathways, mechanisms, and contextual factors that affect where and how agriculture may improve nutrition outcomes. The paper concludes with reflections on implications for agricultural programs, policies, and investments, and highlights future research priorities.

Globally, 30% of the world population lived in urban areas in 1950, 54% in 2016 and 66% projected by 2050. The most urbanized regions include North America, Latin America, and Europe. Urban encroachment depletes soil carbon and the aboveground biomass carbon pools, enhancing the flux of carbon from soil and vegetation into the atmosphere. Thus, urbanization has exacerbated ecological and environmental problems. Urban soils are composed of geological material that has been drastically disturbed by anthropogenic activities and compromised their role in the production of food, aesthetics of residential areas, and pollutant dynamics. Properties of urban soils are normally not favorable to plant growth—the soils are contaminated by heavy metals and are compacted and sealed. Therefore, the quality of urban soils must be restored to make use of this valuable resource for delivery of essential ecosystem services (e.g., food, water and air quality, carbon sequestration, temperature moderation, biodiversity). Part of the Advances in Soil Sciences Series, Urban Soils explains properties of urban soils; assesses the effects of urbanization on the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and water and the impacts of management of urban soils, soil restoration, urban agriculture, and food security; evaluates ecosystem services provisioned by urban soils, and describes synthetic and artificial soils.