Food Security Status in Rajasthan | RPSC Preparation: All subjects - RPSC RAS (Rajasthan) PDF Download

Current Scenario

The food security status in Rajasthan varies across districts due to differences in agricultural productivity, economic conditions, and access to resources. The Rajasthan Food and Nutrition Security Analysis Report, 2023 by the World Food Programme (WFP) provides a detailed analysis of food security in Rajasthan, focusing on the four pillars: availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability. This report helps monitor Rajasthan’s progress toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2: Zero Hunger by 2030. It ranks districts based on food security indicators and highlights challenges in creating sustainable food systems. Rajasthan has made progress in food production, but issues like malnutrition, poverty, and climate variability continue to affect food security.

• Key Source: The WFP report uses district-level data to assess food security, showing how some districts perform better than others due to irrigation, infrastructure, and socio-economic factors.

• Purpose: The report guides policymakers in addressing food insecurity and improving nutrition across Rajasthan’s diverse regions.

Key Findings

The WFP’s Rajasthan Food and Nutrition Security Analysis Report, 2023 and other studies reveal significant insights into Rajasthan’s food security status.

• Ganganagar as the Most Food-Secure District:

  • Ganganagar is ranked the most food-secure district in Rajasthan with a food security index score of 0.407, primarily due to high food stability (index score: 0.401).

  • Reasons for high stability include well-developed irrigation facilities (e.g., canal systems), high agricultural productivity, and better access to markets.

  • Example: Ganganagar’s ability to grow water-intensive crops like wheat and rice contributes to consistent food availability.

• Disparities Across Districts:

  • There are wide variations in food security across Rajasthan’s districts, with some districts excelling in availability and stability, while others struggle with accessibility.

  • Example: Dungarpur district has the lowest food security score (due to low availability: 0.084 and accessibility: 0.183), reflecting challenges in arid regions.

• Progress and Gaps:

  • Rajasthan has improved food production, but nutritional inequality and inconsistent food access remain major concerns.

  • The report highlights the need for district-specific policies to address these disparities and improve overall food security.

Challenges to Food Security in Rajasthan

Rajasthan faces several challenges that hinder achieving food security for all its residents. These challenges impact the four pillars of food security and require targeted interventions.

A. Nutritional Inequality

• Definition: Nutritional inequality means that not all people have access to diverse, nutrient-rich foods, leading to malnutrition, stunting, and anemia.

• Impact in Rajasthan:

  • Many households, especially in rural areas, rely on staple crops like bajra and wheat, lacking access to fruits, vegetables, and proteins.

  • The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21) shows 31.8% of children under 5 in Rajasthan are stunted, and 59.7% of women aged 15–49 have anemia.

• Example: Programs like POSHAN Abhiyaan aim to address nutritional inequality by promoting dietary diversity and providing supplements.

B. Poverty

• Definition: Poverty limits people’s ability to afford nutritious food, affecting economic access to food.

• Impact in Rajasthan:

  • Rajasthan’s poverty rate (14.7% as per NFHS-5) restricts many families’ purchasing power, making it hard to buy diverse foods.

  • Poor households often prioritize cheaper, less nutritious foods, leading to undernutrition.

• Example: The Public Distribution System (PDS) provides subsidized grains to reduce the impact of poverty, but coverage gaps remain.

C. Climate Variability

• Definition: Climate variability, such as erratic rainfall and droughts, disrupts agricultural production and food supply.

• Impact in Rajasthan:

  • Rajasthan’s arid and semi-arid climate makes farming dependent on monsoons, which are often unpredictable.

  • Districts in dry regions (e.g., Jalore, Barmer) face low crop yields due to limited rainfall and poor irrigation.

• Example: The adoption of climate-resilient crops like millets and drip irrigation helps mitigate climate challenges, but implementation is limited.

D. Limited Market Access

• Definition: Limited market access means people in remote or rural areas struggle to reach markets or fair price shops to buy food.

• Impact in Rajasthan:

  • Rural and tribal areas, especially in arid regions, have fewer markets and fair price shops, reducing physical access to food.

  • Poor transportation infrastructure further limits market access for remote communities.

• Example: The National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform aims to improve market access, but its reach in rural Rajasthan is still developing.

Regional Disparities

Food security in Rajasthan varies significantly across districts due to differences in geography, infrastructure, and agricultural productivity.

• High-Performing Districts (e.g., Ganganagar):

  • Why They Perform Better:

    • Ganganagar benefits from canal irrigation (e.g., Indira Gandhi Canal), enabling higher crop yields and stable food production.

    • The district has a high cropping intensity (percentage of gross irrigated area to gross sown area: 83.7% in Jaipur, similar in Ganganagar) and better storage facilities.

    • Access to markets and fair price shops ensures better food accessibility.

  • Example: Ganganagar’s ability to grow cash crops like wheat and rice supports food availability and stability.

• Low-Performing Districts (e.g., Dungarpur, Jalore):

  • Why They Struggle:

    • Arid regions like Dungarpur and Jalore have low irrigation coverage (e.g., 14.81% in Jalore) and depend on rainfed agriculture.

    • Low storage capacity (e.g., 5,400 metric tons in Jalore vs. 151,520 in Jaipur) leads to food wastage and price fluctuations.

    • These districts have lower purchasing power and fewer fair price shops, reducing accessibility.

  • Example: Dungarpur’s low food security score reflects challenges in both availability and accessibility due to its arid terrain.

• Key Source: Studies like the WFP report and Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems highlight these disparities, emphasizing the need for region-specific solutions.

Socio-Economic Factors

Socio-economic factors play a critical role in determining nutritional security in Rajasthan, affecting how food is accessed and utilized.

A. Poverty

• Impact: Poverty restricts families’ ability to buy nutritious food, leading to reliance on cheaper, less diverse diets.

• Relevance to Rajasthan:

  • High poverty rates in rural and tribal areas limit economic access to food.

  • Poor households often face food insecurity, even when food is available, due to low purchasing power.

• Example: Schemes like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) aim to increase income in rural Rajasthan, improving food access.

B. Gender Disparities

• Impact: Gender disparities, such as women eating last and least in rural households, lead to poorer nutritional outcomes for women and girls.

• Relevance to Rajasthan:

  • The National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) shows 57% of women aged 15–49 in Rajasthan have anemia, partly due to unequal food distribution within households.

  • Women in rural areas often prioritize feeding men and children, reducing their own intake of nutrient-rich foods.

• Example: The NFSA’s provision of naming the eldest woman as the head of household for ration cards empowers women to access food subsidies.

C. Tribal Populations

• Impact: Tribal communities in Rajasthan face unique challenges due to their remote locations and reliance on subsistence farming.

• Relevance to Rajasthan:

  • Tribes in districts like Dungarpur and Banswara have limited access to markets, irrigation, and modern farming techniques.

  • Economic backwardness and low literacy rates in tribal areas contribute to food insecurity and malnutrition.

• Example: Community-based programs, like those by NGOs such as Seva Mandir, provide food and nutrition support to tribal communities.