1. Issues of Food Security in India
DR. DESHMUKH V.V.
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS,
Rayat Shikshan Sanstha’s
S.M.JOSHI COLLEGE HADAPSAR, PUNE

2. Issues of Food Security in India
Introduction:-
Impressive growth rate more than 7%.
Food grains reserves increasing.
No famines.
A number of schemes to eradicate poverty.
Paradox of poverty malnutrition and surpluses.
Why are we talking about Food Security today – In 1996 the World Food Summit & later Millennium Development goal (MDG) adopted by U.N. recognised & adopted achieving food security as a goal of International system.
The goal is to reduce the properties of hunger by the year 2015.
It aims at reducing the incidence of malnutrition by 15 million per year.

3. Concept of Food Security
National level.
Individual level.
U.N. (1975) Food Security meant “the availability at all times of adequate World Food Supply of basic food staff”.
Change in concept – Amartya Sen’s work “Poverty & Famine” “An essay on entitlement and Deprivation” (1981).
With availability of Food he added “access” to food as an important component of Food Security
It means ability of the household to buy required food.
Another dimension has been added in the form of nutrition.
Food Security
Food Availability Food Access Food Absorption
Quantity of Food Through own Access to Safe water
Production Market
Purchase govt. entitlement
World Food Summit (1996)
Food Security existing “when all people at all times have access to sufficient safe nutritions Food to maintain a healthy and active life”.

4. Stages of Food Security
The concept of Food Security undergoes a change with the stage of development reached by the society.
The following stages of Food Security may be visualized.
Stage – 1 To make an adequate quantity of cereals available to all
Stage – 2 Adequate availability of cereals & pulses
Stage – 3 Food Security should include cereals, pulses, milk & milk Products
Stage – 4 Food Security should include cereals pulses, milk & milk products, vegetables, fruits, meat, fish eggs. i.e. balanced diet of norm of 2400 calories for rural areas and 2100 calories fort he urban area.

5. Measurement of Food Security Status
The institute for Human Development, New Delhi and the UN World Food Programme (WPF) have combinedly attempted to measure food security and prepared Food Security Index (FSI) in order to find out food secure and insecure states and districts in India the FSI as prepared by them is described the Appendix I.
They have used following indicators as a measure of food security. The food security can draw attention to the factors that distinguish the food secure from the food insecure districts. There are a number of factors that influence food insecurity in one way or the other. They have combined their indicators into a set of three broad food security indices.
Food availability:
Food production
Per Capita value of Agricultural Production
Irrigation extent
Rural connectivity
Proportion of Forests

6. Food Access:
Access to food or food distribution has been regarded to be the most important factor determining food security. The following indicators have been considered in order to take into account the aspect of food accessibility.
Proportion of Agricultural Labour
Proportion of scheduled Tribes and scheduled castes
Proportion of Working Age Population.
4. Per capita consumption expenditure
5. Wage rate
6. Rural Female literacy
Food Absorption:
Access to safe drinking water.
Access to Primary Health Services.
After calculating the index of each variable they have averaged them to give each of the three dimensions of food security viz. availability, access & absorption the composite food security index is gain derived by averaging all the selected indicators.

7. Nature and extent of Food Security in India
India accounts for 2.1 million i.e. 21% of a total 9.7 million children dying globally (UNICEF 2007) (Save the Child survey)
India lags behind its neighbours like Bangladesh & Nepal when it comes to reducing child death.
Child Mortality Per Capita Income (2000 to 2006) Bangladesh & India
92 to to 76
23% % (increase)
NFHS III (National Family Health Survey ( )(India) 40.4 Percent children under 3-4 years underweight 44.9 Percent stunted.
Malnutrition more common in India.

8. National Food Security in India
The institute for Human Development and UN world Food Programme has done extensive work on the identification of food insecure districts in 8 major states of India. These states are as follows: 1) Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Orissa.

9. For each state Food Security Index (FSI) and Food Security Output (FSO) is calculated. The list of district falling in the two lowest groups of both FSO and FSI is combined as an indicator of severely insecure and extremely insecure districts or priority district for priority intervention by the state. The number of districts as priority districts in each state are as follows.
Bihar – 12 districts
Chattisgarh – 16 districts
Jharkhand – 12 districts
Madhya Pradesh – 25 districts
Maharashtra – 11 districts
Orissa – 21 districts
Rajasthan – 22 districts
Uttar Pradesh – 28 districts
‘Priority Districts’ indicate that these regions in the respective districts require proper policies by the government towards food availability, nutrition and women literacy.

10. National Food Security Bill, 2013
The Indian National Food Security Act, 2013 (also Right to Food Act), was signed into law September 12, 2013, retroactive to July 5, This law aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two thirds of India’s 1.2 billion people. Under the provisions of the bill, beneficiaries are to be able to purchase 5 kilograms per eligible person per month of cereals at the following prices:
Rice at Rs.3 (4.8 US) per kg
Wheat at Rs.2 (3.2 US) per kg
Coarse grains (millet) at Rs.1 (1.6 US) per kg
Pregnant women, lactating mothers, and certain categories of children are eligible for daily free meals. The bill has been highly controversial. It was introduced into India’s parliament in December 2012, promulgated as a presidential ordinance on July 5, 2013, and enacted into law in August 2013.

11. 2. Salient features
1. 75% rural and 50% of the urban population are entitled for three years from enactment to five kg food grains per month at Rs.3 (4.8 US), Rs.2 (3.2 US), Rs.1 (1.6 US) per kg for rice, wheat and coarse grains (millet), respectively;
2. The states are responsible for determining eligibility;
3. Pregnant women and lactating mothers are entitled to nutritious “take home ration” of 600 Calories and a maternity benefit of at least Rs 6,000 for six months;
4. Children 6 months to 14 years of age are to receive free hot meals or “take home rations”;
5. The central government will provide funds to states in case of short supplies of food grains;
6. The current food grain allocation of the states will be protected by the central government for at least six months;
7. The state government will provide a food security allowance to the beneficiaries in case of non-supply of food grains;
8. The Public Distribution System is to be reformed;
9. The eldest woman in the household, 18 years or above, is the head of the household for the issuance of the ration card;
10. There will be state-level and district level redress mechanisms; and
11. State Food Commissions will be formed for implementation and monitoring of the Act.
12. The cost of the implementation is estimated to be $22 billion (1.2 lac crore), approximately 1.5% of GDP.
13. The poorest who are covered under the Antodaya yojna will remain entitled to the 35 kg of grains allotted to them under the mentioned scheme.

12. 3. Financial Aspect of Food Security Bill
The Standing Committee estimated that the value of additional food subsidies (i.e., on top of the existing Public Distribution System) “during works out to be…Rs.2409 crores, ” that is, billion rupees, or about $446 million at the then-current exchange rate, for a total expenditure of trillion rupees (or between $20 and $21 billion). However, the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) calculated, “Currently, the economic cost of FCI for acquiring, storing and distributing food grains is about 40 percent more than the procurement price.”
The centre will be responsible for transporting food grain to the central depts. In each state. The state will be responsible for the last mile delivery – transporting form the state depots to each ration shop. In case of short supply of food grain, the Centre will provide cash to the stats, which will be passed on to the beneficiaries. The bill specifies that the Centre will provide states with funds in case of short supply of food grains. The Centre shall also provide assistance to state governments for meeting their expenditure on intra-state movement, handling of food grains, and margins paid to fair price shop dealers.

13. Measures adopted by Government of India to provide Food Security Pre-Reform
Public Distribution System PDS since 1960s.
Green Revolution Mid 60s.
Irrigation
Post – Reform measures
National Policy for Farmers 2007
Watershed Development Programme.
Bharat Nirman
Importing Access
Targeted Public Distribution System.
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment guarantee scheme.
Bharat Nirman.
Swajaldhara.
Women and Child Related schemes.

14. The Right to Food International level
UN Declaration Human Rights (1948) “Freedom from Hunger ”.
Two convenants (1966) Civil & Political Rights and Economic & Social Rights.
Right to Food is also seen as full realization of women’s Rights. Women’s rights in assuring food to themselves and their children and families.
Right to Food in India
1.Whether we have this in our constitution.
2. Article – 21- Right to life.
3. “Right to Food in India was carried forward by the April 2001 petition of the people’s union for Civil liberties (PUCL) Rajasthan is Union of India & others”.
4. Different orders of the supreme court has strengthened ‘Right to Food’.
Established a constitutional basis for the right to food.
Stated that if the hungry are unable to buy grain the relevant govt. should consider giving them free grain.
Identified various schemes to operationalize the right to food.
Made the government. of India & state government responsible for securing the “right to food through these schemes”.
Established Food Commissioners to for implementation of schemes constituting the right to food.

15. Suggestions to improve Food Security
Improvement in PDS.
More Dissemination of knowledge.
Proper wider implementation of existing schemes.
Enhancing Women Literacy.
Voice is necessary. Like RTI.
Effective conservation & utilization of water resources in states like Maharashtra & M.P.
Special attention to Tribal & Hilly Areas in M.P. 40% Population is Tribal & suffering from Malnutrition.
Improvement in Rural Roads for better health & education.
Linking of food schemes with infrastructure improving the income.
Eliminate gender inequality & Women’s empowerment – Provide women’s Land Rights.
Access to safe drinking water in food insecure districts.
Regular monitoring of weight-for-height of children and adults in un/nerable commmitties.
Bureaucratic and political integrity and responsibility.

16. THANK YOU Dr. Syeda Rukhsana Tabassum
Associate Prof. & H.O.D Dept. of Economics
Dr. Rafiq Zakaria College for Women Aurangabad