Introduction to Food Security
* Food security exists when there is enough food available, accessible and affordable for all.
* The problem of food security assumes larger proportions in natural disaster.
* A natural calamity affecting a large area for a long duration of time leads to starvation and conditions of famine.
Food Insecure Groups in India
* A large part of our population faces food insecurity.
The groups of people more vulnerable to food insecurity than others include:
* Landless farmers farm labourers with seasonal employment
* Traditional artisans
* Casual labourers and migrant workers
* People employed in low-income jobs
* Poor people belonging to the scheduled tribes
* People without any means or possessions for subsistence, including beggars, women and children
* Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra have the largest concentration of people facing food insecurity in India.
* Hunger indicates food insecurity.
Hunger is of two types:
* Chronic hunger: Consistently low quality and quantity of diet and
* Seasonal hunger: Poor diet for a short period of time
* Both chronic and seasonal hunger has decreased in rural and urban India.
* Food security requires elimination of present and future hunger.
* The introduction of modern farming methods brought about the Green Revolution in India marked by a dramatic increase in the production of food grains.
* The success of the Green Revolution was not uniform.
During the Green Revolution:
* Wheat production increased significantly in Punjab and Haryana.
* Rice production increased significantly in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
* Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa, and the north-eastern states did not show significant rise in food grain production
Food Security System in India
* Since the Green Revolution, food grain production in India has increased manifold.
* The large variety of crops grown in India also ensures self-sufficiency in food even in adverse conditions.
The Food Security System in India consists of:
* Buffer stocks of food grains
* Distribution of food grains through the Public Distribution System
* Purchase of food grains by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to create the buffer stock
* The buffer stock is used to prevent shortage of food in adverse conditions
* The government declares a Minimum Support Price for the purchase of food grains.
* Food grains are supplied to the poor sections of society through the Public
Distribution System.
* People with a Ration Card can buy a fixed amount of sugar and food grains from a
* Fair Price Shop every month.
Three kinds of Ration Cards are issued in India:
* Antyodaya Card
* Below Poverty Line (BPL) Card
* Above Poverty Line (APL) Card
* The events that highlighted the need for food rationing and introduction of Food
Security Programmes in India were:
* The Bengal famine of 1943
* Food shortage in the 1950’s and 1960’s
* High poverty ratio reported in 1970
The Food Security Programmes in India include:
* Public Distribution System
* Integrated Child Development Services
* Food for Work Program
The government has launched several Poverty Alleviation Programs (PAPs) that enhance food security by increasing the poor people’s income and their affordability of food.
Current Status of PDS
The main landmarks of the Public Distribution Systems are:
* Universal PDS till 1992
* RPDS introduced in 1992 in 1700 backward blocks.
* TPDS introduced in 1997 for the poor in all areas.
* The Antyodaya Ann Yojana and the Annapurna Scheme launched in the year 2000.
* The Antyodaya Ann Yojana is aimed at the poorest of the poor.
* The Annapurna Scheme is aimed at needy senior citizens.
The positive factors associated with PDS include:
* Stabilization of food prices.
* Prevention of widespread hunger and famine.
* Providing food to the poor at increasingly subsidized rates.
* Boosting food grain production in India.
The negative factors associated with PDS include:
* Expensive and wasteful overstocking of food grains by the Food
Corporation of India.
* Discouragement to farmers from growing food grains other than wheat and rice.
* Over-exploitation of water resources through increasing cultivation of water-intensive crops like rice.
* Low incentive for above poverty line families to buy from ration shops due to lower subsidy.
* Large unsold stocks left with PDS dealers.
* Unequal effectiveness of PDS in different states.
Role of Cooperatives in Food Security
* Co-operative societies are playing a significant role in ensuring food security in India.
* Co-operative societies are more active in the western and southern parts of India.
* 94% of fair shops in Tamil Nadu are managed by co-operatives.
* Mother Dairy is a co-operative that sells milk and vegetables in Delhi.
* Amul in Gujarat is one of the most successful co-operatives in India.
* Amul gave a tremendous boost to milk production, leading to the White Revolution in India.
* Amul provides a variety of milk products to consumers all over the country.
* The Academy of Development Science has set up Grain Banks in tribal and rural areas of Maharashtra with the help of local NGOs.