This chapter explores food security, emphasizing availability, accessibility, and affordability of food for all. It discusses vulnerable groups, the impact of calamities, government interventions like the Public Distribution System (PDS) and buffer stocks, and the role of cooperatives, highlighting India’s progress toward self-sufficiency in food grains post-Green Revolution.
Definition: Food security ensures availability (sufficient food production/imports/stocks), accessibility (food within reach), and affordability (ability to buy safe, nutritious food) for all at all times.
Evolution: In the 1970s, food security focused on supply (UN, 1975). Amartya Sen introduced ‘entitlements’—access through production, market exchange, or state support. The 1995 World Food Summit defined it as universal access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food for an active, healthy life, linking it to poverty eradication.
Need for Food Security: Poor households are chronically food insecure, while others face insecurity during calamities (e.g., drought, flood), which reduce production, raise prices, and limit affordability, potentially causing starvation or famine.
Famine: Characterized by widespread starvation deaths and epidemics due to contaminated resources. The Bengal Famine (1943) killed 30 lakh people, primarily affecting agricultural laborers, fishermen, and casual workers due to soaring rice prices.
| Year | Production (Lakh Tonnes) | Imports (Lakh Tonnes) | Exports (Lakh Tonnes) | Total Availability (Lakh Tonnes) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | 85 | - | - | 85 |
| 1939 | 79 | 4 | - | 83 |
| 1940 | 82 | 3 | - | 85 |
| 1941 | 68 | 2 | - | 70 |
| 1942 | 93 | - | 1 | 92 |
| 1943 | 76 | 3 | - | 79 |
Bengal Famine Analysis: Table 4.1 shows 1941 had the lowest availability (70 lakh tonnes). The 1943 famine wasn’t solely due to rice shortage (availability was 79 lakh tonnes) but high prices and poor distribution, hitting low-income groups hardest.
Vulnerable Populations: Landless rural households, traditional artisans, petty self-employed workers, and urban casual laborers face chronic food insecurity. Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and lower OBCs with poor land bases are particularly affected.
Regional Disparities: Food insecurity is high in Uttar Pradesh (eastern/south-eastern), Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra, due to poverty, tribal populations, and disaster-prone areas.
Case Study - Ramu: Ramu, a casual agricultural laborer in Raipur, works seasonally, remaining unemployed for 4 months yearly. His son Somu earns ₹1,000/year as a cattle herder, and his wife Sunhari earns milk and food as a cleaner. Despite efforts, Ramu’s family faces food insecurity during unemployment, lacking regular milk/vegetables.
Case Study - Ahmad: Ahmad, a rickshaw puller in Bangalore, has irregular earnings, sometimes barely covering necessities. His BPL yellow card provides subsidized wheat, rice, sugar, and kerosene, enabling survival for his large family despite low income.
Malnutrition: Per the 1998-99 NHFS, 11 crore women and children under 5 are malnourished, with pregnant/nursing mothers and unborn babies at risk, exacerbating food insecurity.
Types: Chronic hunger results from persistently inadequate diets due to low income. Seasonal hunger, linked to agricultural cycles, affects rural farmers and urban casual laborers (e.g., less construction work in rainy seasons).
Trends: Table 4.2 shows hunger declined from 1983 to 1999-2000: rural seasonal hunger from 16.2% to 2.6%, chronic from 2.3% to 0.7%; urban seasonal from 5.6% to 0.6%, chronic from 0.8% to 0.3%.
| Year | Rural (%) | Urban (%) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonal | Chronic | Total | Seasonal | Chronic | Total | |
| 1983 | 16.2 | 2.3 | 18.5 | 5.6 | 0.8 | 6.4 |
| 1993-94 | 4.2 | 0.9 | 5.1 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 1.6 |
| 1999-2000 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.9 |
Impact: Hunger perpetuates poverty by reducing productivity and health, necessitating measures to eliminate current hunger and prevent future risks.
Green Revolution: Post-Independence, India adopted high-yielding varieties, leading to the Green Revolution (1960s). Wheat production soared, followed by rice, with a special stamp in 1968 marking the ‘Wheat Revolution.’
Production Growth: Foodgrain production rose from 200 million tonnes (1990-91) to 315 million tonnes (2021-22). Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh led wheat (36 and 18 million tonnes, 2020-21), while West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh led rice (17 and 16 million tonnes).
Self-Sufficiency: Since the 1970s, India avoided famines, even during adverse weather, due to diverse crops and a robust food security system.
Buffer Stock: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) procures wheat and rice at Minimum Support Price (MSP) from surplus states, storing them in granaries. These stocks ensure supply during shortages, distributed at Issue Price (below market rates).
Public Distribution System (PDS): PDS distributes foodgrains, sugar, and kerosene through 5.5 lakh ration shops (Fair Price Shops) at subsidized rates. Families with ration cards (Antyodaya, BPL, APL) access fixed quotas monthly.
PDS Evolution: Initiated in the 1940s, PDS was strengthened post-1960s shortages. Key milestones:
| Scheme | Year | Target Group | Volume | Issue Price (₹/kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PDS | Up to 1992 | Universal | - | W-2.34, R-2.89 |
| RPDS | 1992 | Backward blocks | 20 kg | W-2.80, R-3.77 |
| TPDS | 1997 | BPL/APL | 35 kg/month | BPL: W-4.15, R-5.65; APL: W-6.10, R-8.30 |
| AAY | 2000 | Poorest of poor | 35 kg/month | W-2.00, R-3.00 |
| APS | 2000 | Indigent seniors | 10 kg | Free |
| NFSA | 2013 | Priority households | 5 kg/person/month | W-2.00, R-3.00, Coarse-1.00 |
Other Programs: ICDS (1975), Food-for-Work (1977-78), Mid-Day Meals, and employment schemes (e.g., MGNREGA) enhance food security by increasing income or direct food provision.
Excess Stocks: In 2022, FCI held 159 LMT wheat and 104 LMT rice, far above buffer norms, leading to wastage, high storage costs, and quality deterioration.
MSP Issues: High MSP in states like Punjab and Haryana encourages rice/wheat over coarse grains, causing environmental degradation (e.g., water table depletion).
PDS Malpractices: Dealers divert grains to open markets, sell poor-quality grains, or irregularly open shops. TPDS’s high APL prices reduce demand, leaving unsold stocks.
Consumption Trends: Per NSSO, rice consumption fell (2004-05 to 2011-12: rural 6.38 to 5.98 kg, urban 4.71 to 4.49 kg), but PDS rice/wheat consumption doubled, indicating reliance on subsidies.
Contributions: Cooperatives ensure food security, especially in southern/western India. Tamil Nadu’s 94% Fair Price Shops are cooperative-run. Mother Dairy (Delhi) and Amul (Gujarat) provide affordable milk/products, driving the White Revolution.
Grain Banks: In Maharashtra, the Academy of Development Science (ADS) supports NGO-run grain banks, training communities and influencing policy, enhancing local food security.
Food Security Framework: India ensures food security through buffer stocks and PDS, supported by programs like AAY and NFSA, addressing availability, accessibility, and affordability.
Progress: The Green Revolution made India self-sufficient, with production reaching 315 million tonnes (2021-22). Hunger declined significantly, but SCs/STs and disaster-prone regions remain vulnerable.
Challenges: Excess stocks, MSP-driven crop shifts, PDS inefficiencies, and malnutrition (11 crore women/children) require reforms, cooperative expansion, and sustainable agricultural practices.