Attaining food security is a matter of prime importance for India where more than a third of its population is estimated to be absolutely poor, and as many as one half of its children have suffered from malnourishment over the last three decades. Several important issues have emerged in the context of food security in India. These have been (a) the liberalization of the economy and its impact on agriculture and food security; (b) the establishment of the WTO and the agreement on Agriculture; (c) climate change and its impact on food production and prices; (d) the prevalence of hunger and poverty coexisting with high levels of food stocks; (e) the introduction of the targeted Public Distribution System (f) the "Right to Food" campaign; and (g) the National Food Security Bill. These important issues have posed severe challenges for food security in the country.
The Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) states that food security emerges when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Food security has three important and closely related components, which are availability of food, access to food, and absorption of food.
Food security is thus a multi-dimensional concept and extends beyond the production availability, and demand for food. There has been a definite and significant paradigm shift in the concept of food security from mere macro level availability and stability to micro level household food insecurity, and also from an assessment of energy intake to measures and indicators of malnutrition.
Table of Contents
1. FOOD SECURITY IN INDIA: A BRIEF OVERVIEW
2. THE AVAILABILITY OF FOOD
The Status and Trends in Food Production and Availability
Major Factors Responsible for Decline in Food Production
Per Capita Availability of Food Grains
3. THE STATE OF ACCESS TO FOOD AND NUTRITION (ABSORPTION)
The State of Access to Food
Household Food Security: Poverty Levels
The Growth in Employment
Access to the Public Distribution System
The Trends and Performance in Nutrition Indicators
Nutritional Intake of Calories, Protein and Fat
Nutritional Status
4. POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES FOR IMPROVING ACCESS AND NUTRITION
Growth in Incomes, Access to Food and Nutrition
Determinants of Malnutrition
Adequacy of Food Intake and Diversification of Diets
Public Health
Empowerment of Women
Multi-Sectoral Interventions
Agricultural Growth and Development
The Non-Farm Sector
Social Protection Programmes
The Targeted Public Distribution System
Major Concerns Regarding the PDS and Suggestions for Improving it’s Functioning
Suggestions for Improvement
Nutrition Programmes
The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
Measures to Improve the ICDS
The Mid Day Meal Scheme (MDMS)
Suggestions for Improving the MDMS
The National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme
Suggestions for Strengthening and Improvement
5. CONCLUSION
Objectives and Topics
This work examines the complex challenges of food security in India, focusing on the core dimensions of food availability, economic access, and nutritional absorption. It aims to evaluate how recent economic shifts, agricultural trends, and social policy interventions influence the hunger and malnutrition landscape, specifically investigating how systemic reforms can improve the effectiveness of targeted welfare programs.
- Analysis of national food grain production and distribution trends
- Evaluation of poverty dynamics and their impact on household food access
- Assessment of nutritional status and caloric intake across diverse demographic groups
- Review of key social protection initiatives like PDS, ICDS, and MDMS
- Proposed policy reforms for enhancing agricultural productivity and social welfare delivery
Excerpt from the Book
The Status and Trends in Food Production and Availability
National self-sufficiency in food grain has been a major achievement in post-Independence India. Having remained a severely food deficit economy over two decades after Independence, India managed to achieve self-sufficiency in food grain production at the macro or national level. The green revolution ushered in a dramatic and steady increase in domestic food grain production practically eliminating the need for food imports, except to a very limited extent in times of extreme emergencies such as droughts and serious crop failure. Food grain production in the country registered a steady increase over two decades from only 50 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 244.5 million tonnes in 2010-11. The growth rate in food grain has been about 2.5 percent per annum during the post Independence period. Moreover the production of oilseeds, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables and milk has also increased significantly.
A closer look at the experience in the last two decades however indicates a tapering off or decline in both production and yields. It has been observed (S. Mahendra Dev, and A. Sharma 2011) that during the period 1996-2008 as compared to the years 1986-97, the growth rate in food grain production declined very sharply from nearly 3 percent to around 0.93 percent. Moreover the growth in production was much less than the growth in population in the latter period, having a serious impact on per capita availability. The growth rate of yields in food grain also declined from 3.21 percent to 1.04 percent. There was thus a decline in rates of production and yields for cereals, pulses, oilseeds, rice and wheat as seen in Table 1B below.
Summary of Chapters
1. FOOD SECURITY IN INDIA: A BRIEF OVERVIEW: Provides an introduction to the concept of food security and a historical overview of the progress made since the green revolution.
2. THE AVAILABILITY OF FOOD: Analyzes the trends in agricultural production, the factors contributing to the recent decline in growth, and the per capita availability of food grains.
3. THE STATE OF ACCESS TO FOOD AND NUTRITION (ABSORPTION): Examines the mechanisms of food access, poverty levels, employment trends, the role of PDS, and the state of nutritional indicators among vulnerable populations.
4. POLICIES AND PROGRAMMES FOR IMPROVING ACCESS AND NUTRITION: Discusses specific social protection programs, their design flaws, and provides detailed suggestions for improving their effectiveness and impact.
5. CONCLUSION: Summarizes the key findings and emphasizes the necessity of policy reforms and efficient institutional governance to achieve sustainable food security.
Keywords
Food Security, India, Agriculture, Malnutrition, Poverty, Public Distribution System, PDS, Green Revolution, Nutrition, Employment, MGNREGA, ICDS, MDMS, Food Grain Production, Social Protection
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this publication?
The work provides a comprehensive analysis of the issues surrounding food security in India, investigating why, despite achieving macro-level self-sufficiency, persistent hunger and malnutrition remain critical challenges for large segments of the population.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The core themes include the availability of food through domestic production, the economic and physical access to food by households, and the biological absorption of nutrition, which is influenced by public health and infrastructure.
What is the primary research goal?
The goal is to identify why current food management and social protection policies are failing to eradicate hunger and to propose evidence-based improvements to enhance the effectiveness of these systems.
Which scientific methods are utilized in this work?
The publication utilizes a descriptive and analytical approach, synthesizing data from government reports (e.g., NSSO, NFHS), agricultural statistics, and performance audits to evaluate trends and policy impacts.
What does the main body address?
It addresses the decline in agricultural productivity, the multidimensional nature of food insecurity, the performance of the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), and the implementation issues within the ICDS, MDMS, and MGNREGA programs.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Food Security, Nutrition, Public Distribution System, Agriculture, Malnutrition, Poverty, and Social Protection.
Why is the absorption of food considered a major problem?
Food absorption is critical because even if individuals have access to food, poor environmental factors such as lack of sanitation, clean drinking water, and insufficient medical care prevent the human body from utilizing nutrients effectively, leading to "absorption food insecurity."
How can the Targeted Public Distribution System be improved?
The text suggests decentralizing procurement, modernizing operations through computerization and smart cards, ensuring better targeting of beneficiaries through consistent methodologies, and increasing the financial viability of fair price shops.
What role does the MGNREGA play in food security?
The MGNREGA acts as a crucial social protection instrument by providing guaranteed wage employment, which increases the purchasing power of the poor, thereby improving their economic access to food.
- Quote paper
- Dr. Veena Soni (Author), 2020, Food Security in India. Issues and Suggestions for Effectiveness, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/593460
