The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 6th September 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

The Food Security Act has revamped the PDS

Why in News?

The discussion about the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013 included concerns about ensuring food security through the Public Distribution System (PDS).

• People felt uneasy because of the history of the PDS.
• Data from the National Sample Survey in 2011-12 showed that, on average, 41.7% of food was lost or leaked at the national level.

What is Food Security?

• Food security, as defined by the United Nations' Committee on World Food Security, means that everyone has physical, social, and economic access to enough, safe, and healthy food that fits their dietary needs and preferences for a lively and healthy life.
• Food security includes three main elements:
  • Food availability: There must be enough food available regularly. This includes considering the local food supply and the ability to import food from other places through trade or aid.
  • Food access: People should be able to get enough food consistently, whether by buying it, growing it at home, trading, receiving it as a gift, borrowing, or through food assistance programs.
  • Food utilization: The food consumed needs to be nutritious and beneficial for health. This involves proper cooking, storage, hygiene practices, individual health, water quality, sanitation, and how food is shared and consumed within a household.
• Food security is closely linked to household resources, how much money people have to spend, and their overall economic situation.
• It is also connected to other important issues, such as food prices, climate change, water, energy, and the growth of agriculture.

Why Food Security is Important for a Nation?

• Boosting the agricultural sector: This involves enhancing farming practices, improving crop yields, and supporting farmers to ensure a stable food supply.
• Controlling food prices: By increasing food production and ensuring better distribution, we can help keep prices stable and affordable for everyone.
• Economic growth and job creation: Developing agriculture can lead to new job opportunities, which helps reduce poverty levels in communities.
• Trade opportunities: A strong agricultural sector can create prospects for exporting goods, benefiting both local farmers and the economy.
• Increased global security and stability: Ensuring food security contributes to peace and stability in regions, as it reduces the risk of conflicts over resources.
• Improved health and healthcare: Access to fresh and nutritious food supports better health outcomes and reduces healthcare costs for everyone.

Food Security in India

• Food security issues can be linked to the Bengal Famine in 1943 when British colonial rule led to the deaths of around 2 to 3 million people due to hunger.
• After gaining independence, India initially focused on industrialization while neglecting agriculture. This, along with two major droughts in the mid-1960s, highlighted India's vulnerability to food supply challenges, leading to reliance on food aid from the United States.
• In the late 1960s and early 1970s, India experienced the Green Revolution, which helped improve food production significantly and overcome stagnation in productivity.
• Despite its achievements, the Green Revolution is often criticized for:
  • Focusing mainly on two crops: wheat and rice.
  • Being limited to a few regions in the northwest and south, benefiting mostly wealthy farmers.
  • Causing ecological issues, particularly affecting soil and water resources in these areas.
• Following the Green Revolution, India witnessed the White Revolution, kicked off by Operation Flood during the 1970s and 1980s. This initiative transformed milk production and marketing, making India the largest producer of milk.
• Recently, particularly after the year 2000, there have been significant advances in the production of hybrid maize for poultry and industrial use, as well as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton. These developments have led to substantial exports of cotton, making India the second largest exporter of cotton in the 2007-2008 period.

Concerns vis-a-vis Food Security in India

• India has the highest number of undernourished people globally, with about 195 million individuals affected.
• Approximately 47 million children, or 4 out of 10, in India do not reach their full potential because of chronic undernutrition, leading to stunting.
• The level of agricultural productivity in India is very low.
• The World Bank reports that the average cereal yield in India is around 2,992 kg per hectare, compared to 7,318.4 kg per hectare in North America.
• There is a noticeable shift in the food composition in India, moving from cereals to more valuable agricultural products like fish, eggs, milk, and meat. As incomes rise, this trend is expected to continue, increasing the demand for food from animal feed.
• According to the FAO in the report "The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, 2018," about 14.8% of the Indian population is undernourished.
• Furthermore, 51.4% of women of reproductive age (between 15 to 49 years) are affected by anaemia.
• The same report indicates that 38.4% of children under five in India are stunted, meaning they are too short for their age, while 21% suffer from wasting, which indicates they are underweight for their height.
• In the Global Food Security Index (GFSI) of 2018, India was ranked 76th out of 113 countries evaluated, based on parameters like affordability, availability, quality, and safety.
• According to the Global Hunger Index of 2018, India ranked 103rd out of 119 eligible countries.

Challenges to Food Security

• Climate Change: Rising temperatures and unpredictable rainfall make farming challenging. This issue not only affects crops but also impacts livestock, forests, fisheries, and aquaculture. It can lead to serious social and economic problems, including lower incomes, loss of livelihoods, disruptions in trade, and negative health effects.
• Lack of Access to Remote Areas: Tribal communities living in hard-to-reach areas and relying on subsistence farming face significant economic struggles.
• Rural-to-Urban Migration: There is an increase in people moving from rural areas to cities, resulting in a large informal workforce. This unplanned growth of slums often lacks basic health and hygiene services, adequate housing, and leads to more food insecurity.
• Overpopulation and Poverty: Issues such as overpopulation, poverty, lack of education, and gender inequality are prevalent.
• Inadequate Food Distribution: The public distribution system (PDS) is not effectively distributing food.
• Exclusion of Beneficiaries: Eligible individuals for subsidies are often left out because the criteria for below poverty line (BPL) status are inconsistent and differ from state to state.
• Biofuels: The rise of the biofuel market has taken up land that could be used for growing food crops.
• Conflict: Food can be used as a weapon during conflicts, with opponents cutting off food supplies to gain an advantage. Additionally, crops may be destroyed during these conflicts.
• Unmonitored Nutrition Programs: While there are many programs aimed at improving nutrition, they are often not implemented properly.
• Lack of Coherent Policies: There is a need for clear food and nutrition policies, as well as better coordination between different government ministries.
• Corruption: Issues such as diverting grains to the open market for better profits, selling low-quality grains at ration shops, and irregular shop openings contribute to food insecurity.

Recent Government Initiatives

• This is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme that started in 2007.
• The goal is to boost the production of rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals, and commercial crops by expanding areas and improving productivity.
• It aims to restore soil fertility and productivity on individual farms, enhancing the overall economy of farming.
• Another goal is to increase the availability of vegetable oils and decrease the need to import edible oils.

• Launched in 2007, this program allows states to select their own agricultural development activities based on local plans.
• In 2014-15, it became a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with 100% funding from the central government.
• From 2017-18 to 2019-20, it was renamed RKVY-RAFTAAR to focus on more effective approaches for agriculture and allied sectors.
• Its objectives include making farming a profitable business by supporting farmers, reducing risks, and encouraging agricultural entrepreneurship.
• It emphasizes building infrastructure for both pre- and post-harvest activities.

• Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana provides insurance for farmers against crop loss.
• The government created an e-marketplace called eNAM to link wholesale produce markets across India through an online platform.
• A large irrigation and water conservation program aims to increase the gross irrigated area from 90 million hectares to 103 million hectares by 2017.
• Over the last 20 years, the government has taken significant steps to address malnutrition through various initiatives.
• The introduction of mid-day meals in schools provides meals to children in Government and Government-Aided schools.
• Anganwadi systems offer rations to pregnant and nursing mothers.
• Subsidized grains are provided to those below the poverty line through a public distribution system.
• Food fortification is also a key initiative.

• The NFSA guarantees subsidized food grains to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population.
• The head of the household for ration cards must be the oldest woman aged 18 or older.

• Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO): A UN agency established in 1945 to help eliminate hunger and improve food security.
• World Food Programme (WFP): Founded in 1963, it is the main UN agency that responds to food emergencies and fights global hunger.
• International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): Established in 1977, it focuses on rural poverty reduction and improving food security in developing countries.
• World Bank: Founded in 1944, it funds food projects and programs worldwide.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): Established in 1972, it addresses environmental issues, including food security.

• The High-Level Task Force (HLTF) on Global Food and Nutrition Security was created in 2008 to promote a united international response to food security challenges.
• The first Millennium Development Goal (MDG 1) aimed to halve the number of people suffering from hunger by 2015.
• The Zero Hunger Challenge was launched in 2012 to inspire global efforts to eliminate hunger within a generation, with goals including:
• 
  
  • Zero stunted children under two years of age.
  • 100% access to sufficient food all year round.
  • All food systems should be sustainable.
  • 100% increase in productivity and income for smallholder farmers.
  • Zero food loss or waste.
• SDG Goal 2: Focus on ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture.

• The government should adopt a comprehensive policy to boost agricultural productivity.
• Measures should focus on fair land distribution, enhancing farm sizes, and securing tenant farmers' rights.
• Farmers should be provided with better technologies, irrigation systems, quality seeds, fertilizers, and low-interest loans.
• Techniques like aeroponics and hydroponics can help grow plants without soil, which is useful in poor soil conditions.
• Using crops that need less water, such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), can help maintain yields with lower water use.
• Crop diversification is essential for greater profitability and stability, encouraging the growth of legumes and non-cereal crops like oilseeds and vegetables.
• Better food storage strategies should be implemented.
• The Blue Revolution focuses on using water bodies for food production, emphasizing fish as a protein source.
• Biotechnology can enhance crop and livestock traits through selective breeding or genetic modification.
• Nutrition programs should be managed by women's Self Help Groups (SHGs) and local bodies, with training for health workers.
• Health departments should effectively oversee nutrition-related initiatives.
• Annual surveys and assessments can help evaluate program effectiveness.
• Attention should be given to informal sector workers to ensure fair wages and safe working conditions.
• Local community education on health and nutrition practices can be beneficial.
• Cooperatives play a vital role in food security, especially in southern and western India, by providing affordable goods.
• Encouraging rural-urban economic connections can enhance food security through:
  • Diversifying employment opportunities in rural areas, particularly for women and youth.
  • Helping the poor manage risks through social protection.
  • Using remittances to invest in rural development and improve livelihoods.

Way Forward

• Food security in a country means that every person has enough healthy food to eat. 
•  It is important that everyone has the ability to buy good quality food and that there are no barriers preventing them from accessing food. 
•  The right to food is a well-recognized part of international human rights law. 
•  This right includes a duty for governments to respect, protect, and fulfill their people’s right to food security. 
•  As a member of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, India has a duty to ensure that its citizens are free from hunger and have access to adequate food. 
•  India needs to create a policy that addresses various important issues, including inequality, food diversity, indigenous rights, and environmental justice, in order to achieve sustainable food security.