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Economics Overview of Food Security

Definition of Food Security

  • Food Security: Refers to the availability, accessibility, and affordability of food for all individuals at all times.

  • Essential dimensions include:

    • Availability: Food must be produced domestically, include imports, and account for reserves.

    • Accessibility: Food must be reachable for every person.

    • Affordability: Individuals must possess sufficient financial means to obtain nutritious food.

Importance of Food Security

  • Critical for low-income households; they are particularly vulnerable during food supply crises caused by production and distribution failures.

  • Historical context: The 1970s' famine highlighted the necessity for robust food security mechanisms, impacting understanding and policy.

Impact of Calamities on Food Security

  • Natural Calamities (e.g., droughts) drastically reduce food production, leading to shortages and increased prices.

  • Consequences of food shortages:

    • Inability for lower-income individuals to afford food.

    • Severe cases can escalate to starvation, leading to famine characterized by widespread mortality.

Historical Perspectives

Early Understandings of Food Security

  • 1970s Definition: Focused on availability of basic foodstuffs (UN, 1975).

  • Amartya Sen's Contribution: Introduced the concept of 'entitlements,' emphasizing the access to food via production, market exchange, and social supplies.

Evolution of Definitions

  • 1995 World Food Summit: Defined food security as all individuals having constant access to sufficient and nutritious food to lead healthy lives. It noted that eradicating poverty is crucial for improving food access.

Food Security Challenges During Calamities

  • Natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, floods) lead to significant drops in food availability, causing price spikes and access issues.

  • Historical example: Bengal Famine of 1943 resulted in the death of thirty lakh people due to starvation, marking a severe famine occurrence in India.

Current Food Security Situation in India

Vulnerable Groups

  • Food Insecure Populations: Landless individuals, casual laborers, traditional artisans, and underpaid urban workers.

  • In urban environments, food-insecure families often work in low-wage, unstable jobs.

Ongoing Food Insecurity Issues

  • Famines in modern India might not be as statistically extreme as in the past, but conditions leading to starvation still prevail, exacerbated by economic hardships and pandemics like COVID-19.

  • High malnutrition rates, especially among women and young children, remain a significant concern.

Various Forms of Hunger

  • Chronic Hunger: Persistent inadequacy in diet quantity and quality.

  • Seasonal Hunger: Occurs due to periodic cycles in agricultural production, especially prevalent among rural laborers.

Government Efforts for Food Security

Green Revolution and Policies

  • Initiatives post-independence aimed at achieving self-sufficiency in foodgrains, leading to enhanced agricultural productivity through new strategies and technologies.

  • Minimum Support Price (MSP): Prices set to incentivize farmers, ensuring fair compensation and stability during adverse conditions.

Public Distribution System (PDS)

  • Buffer Stock: A strategic reserve of foodgrains maintained by the government to distribute during shortages.

  • PDS aims to ensure affordable food distribution through ration shops across the country:

    • Over 5.5 lakh ration shops facilitate access to food staples at subsidized rates.

Challenges Facing the PDS

  • Issues such as poor quality grains, malpractices by PDS dealers, irregular shop hours, and reduction of benefits for Above Poverty Line (APL) families.

  • Recent shifts in PDS distribution have left certain families with less incentive to utilize ration shops.

Role of Cooperatives in Food Security

  • Cooperatives significantly contribute to food security, especially in southern and western India.

    • Examples include: Amul in milk production, various cooperatives supplying food at controlled prices.

Summary of the Food Security Framework in India

  • Food security necessitates ensuring availability, economic capability, and unhindered access to nutritious food for all citizens.

  • Addressing hunger and poverty is essential for sustainable food security and development.