Food security in India

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Food security has been a major concern in India. In 2022, the Global Food Security Index ranked India at 68th out of the 113 major countries in terms of food security. [1] In 2024, the Global Hunger Index ranked India at 105th out of 127 countries with a score of 27.3. [2] According to the United Nations, there are nearly 195 million undernourished people in India that make up a quarter of the world's undernourished population. In addition, roughly 43% of children in India are chronically undernourished. [3] Though the current nutritional standards meet 100% of daily food requirements, India lags far behind in terms of a quality protein intake at 20%; this shortcoming can be alleviated by making available protein-rich food products such as soybeans, lentils, meat, eggs, dairy, etc. more readily accessible and affordable for Indian citizens. [4] The Human Rights Measurement Initiative [5] finds that India is operating at only 56.8% of its capacity based its economic power to ensure its citizens have adequate food security. [6]

Contents

In order to ensure citizens' fundamental rights to accessible and affordable food, the Parliament of India enacted the National Food Security Act in 2013. Also known as the Right to Food Act, this Act seeks to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two-thirds of India's 1.33 billion population. [7] It was signed into law on 10 September 2013, retroactive to 5 July 2013. [8] [9]

Schemes by government

Central Initiatives

State Initiatives

Challenges for India

A lack of access to affordable and healthy foods is widespread throughout India. With over 60% of India's population depending on agriculture for their livelihoods, the agricultural sector is critical for both India's economy and food security levels across the country. [17] However, India's agricultural sector faces a growing number of challenges, including lower agricultural productivity due to climate volatility and reduced available farmland partially due to India's rapidly increasing population outpacing economic growth that strains India's natural resources and land availability. [18]

India produces around 100 million tonnes of rice every year. While there might be enough food for the whole population of India, many families and especially children in India don't have access to food because of financial problems. Thus, this is the cause of millions of malnourished children around India. The cultural knowledge in India allows them to have a very nutritional and balanced diet.

Nearly the whole of the Indian population has rice at least once a day which allows them to have carbohydrates in their system. Since India is most commonly known for producing and exporting rice to other countries, their lifestyle will be mainly dominated by rice. [19]

See also

References

  1. "Global Food Security Index (GFSI)". The Economist. 7 February 2023.
  2. "India - Global Hunger Index". Global Hunger Index.
  3. "Nutrition and Food Security - UN India". UN India. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  4. "India: Global Food Security Index". Archived from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  5. "Human Rights Measurement Initiative – The first global initiative to track the human rights performance of countries". humanrightsmeasurement.org. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  6. "India - HRMI Rights Tracker". rightstracker.org. Retrieved 24 February 2022.
  7. "National Food Security Act" (PDF). PRS Legislative Research. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  8. "Press Information Bureau" . Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  9. "Food Security Act To Be Implemented From June 5". BTVI.in. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  10. "Food Corporation of India". Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  11. "Expenditure Budget, Union Budget 2017-18" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  12. The Gazette of India. "The National Food Security Act, 2013" (PDF).
  13. "Indira Canteen, Karnataka". Archived from the original on 8 December 2020.
  14. "Nalabothu foundation".
  15. "Tamil Nadu's Amma canteen concept catches on in other states", Live Mint , 27 March 2017
  16. How Village Restaurants Could Change The Lives Of The Rural Poor
  17. "India", The World Factbook, Central Intelligence Agency, 5 September 2023, retrieved 7 September 2023
  18. "USDA ERS - India Continues to Grapple with Food Insecurity". www.ers.usda.gov. Archived from the original on 7 September 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  19. Swaminathan, M.S.; Bhavani, R.V. (2013). "Food production & availability - Essential prerequisites for sustainable food security". The Indian Journal of Medical Research. 138 (3): 383–391. PMC   3818607 . PMID   24135188.

Further reading

Ramaswamy, S. (2017). Food Security in India. India: MJP Publishers.