Food security means availability (food production within the country, food imports and the previous years stock stored in government granaries), accessibility (food is within reach of every person)and affordability (individual has enough money to buy sufficient, safe and nutritious food) of food to all people at all times.
Food security depends on the Public Distribution System (PDS),government vigilance and action at times, when this security is threatened.
Why food security?
The poorest section of the society might be food insecure most of the times while persons above the poverty line might also be food insecure when the country faces a national disaster.
Who are food-insecure?
Economic Groups - The worst affected groups are landless people with little or no land to depend upon, traditional artisans, providers of traditional services, petty self- employed workers and destitutes including beggars. In the urban areas, the food insecure families are those whose working members are generally employed in ill-paid occupations and casual labour market.
Social Groups - The SCs, STs and some sections of the OBCs (lower castes among them) who have either poor land-base or very low land productivity are prone to food insecurity. The people affected by natural disasters are also among the most food insecure people. A large proportion of pregnant and nursing mothers and children under the age of 5 years constitute an important segment of the food insecure population.
Food Insecure regions - Economically backward states with high incidence of poverty, tribal and remote areas, regions more prone to natural disasters etc have more food insecure people. In fact, the states of Uttar Pradesh (eastern and south-easter n parts), Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharasthra account for largest number of food insecure people.
Hunger is another aspect indicating food insecurity. Hunger has chronic and seasonal dimensions. Chronic hunger is a consequence of diets persistently inadequate in terms of quantity and/or quality. Poor people suffer from chronic hunger because of their very low income and in turn inability to buy food even for survival. Seasonal hunger is related to cycles of food growing and harvesting. This is prevalent in rural areas because of the seasonal nature of agricultural activities and in urban areas because of the casual labour. This type of hunger exists when a person is unable to get work for the entire year.
Indian measures to achieve self-sufficiency in food grains -
Green Revolution
(i) 'Green Revolution' especially in the production of wheat and rice.
(ii) Then Prime Minister of India, officially recorded the impressive strides of the Green revolution in agriculture by releasing a special stamp entitled 'Wheat Revolution' in July 1968. The success of wheat was later replicated in rice.
(iii) The highest rate of growth was achieved in Punjab and Haryana. Production in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa and the northeastern states continued to stagger. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, recorded significant increases in rice yield.
Food Security in India
India has become self-sufficient in foodgrains during the last thirty years because
(i) a variety of crops grown all over the country.
(ii) The availability of foodgrains at the country level has further been ensured with a carefully designed food security system
(i) Buffer Stock (ii) Public Distribution System
Buffer Stock is the stock of foodgrains, namely wheat and rice procured by the government through Food Corporation of India (FCI). The FCI purchases wheat and rice from the farmers in states where there is surplus production. The farmers are paid a pre-announced price for their crops. This price is called Minimum Support Price
Advantages of maintaining Buffer Stock
(i) distribute foodgrains in the deficit areas and among the poorer strata of society at a price lower than the market price also known as Issue Price
(ii) helps resolve the problem of shortage of food during adverse weather conditions or during the periods of calamity
Public Distribution System
Food procured by the FCI is distributed through government regulated ration shops among the poorer section of the society. This is called the public distribution system (PDS). There are about 5.5 lakh ration shops all over the country. Ration shops also known as Fair Price Shops keep stock of foodgrains, sugar, kerosene oil for cooking.
There are three kinds of ration cards: (a) Antyodaya cards for the poorest of the poor; (b) BPL cards for those below poverty line; and (c) APL cards for all others.
Rationing in India dates back to the 1940s against the backdrop of the Bengal famine, was revived in the wake of an acute food shortage during the 1960s, prior to the Green Revolution.
In the mid-1970s, three important food intervention programmes were introduced: Public Distribution System (PDS) for food grains (in existence earlier but strengthened thereafter); Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) (introduced in 1975 on an experimental basis) and Food-for -Work (FFW) (introduced in 1977-78).
Several Poverty Alleviation Programmes (PAPs), mostly in rural areas, which have an explicit food component also. While some of the programmes such as PDS, mid-day meals etc. are exclusively food security programmes, most of the PAPs also enhance food security.
Current Status of Public Distribution System
(i) In the beginning the coverage of PDS was universal with no discrimination between the poor and non-poor.
(ii) In 1992, Revamped Public Distribution System (RPDS) was introducted in 1,700 blocks in the country. The target was to provide the benefits of PDS to remote and backward areas.
(iii) From June 1997, Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) was introducted to adopt the principle of targeting the 'poor in all areas'.
(iv) In 2000, two special schemes were launched viz ., Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and the Annapurna Scheme (APS) with special target groups of 'poorest of the poor' and 'indigent senior citizens', respectively.
Importance of Public Distribution System
It helps in
(i) in stabilising prices and making food available to consumers at affordable prices
(ii) in averting widespread hunger and famine
(iii) the prices have been under revision in favour of poor households in general.
(iv) has contributed to an increase in food grain production
(v) provided income security to farmers in certain regions
Criticism of Public Distribution System
(i) instances of hunger are prevalent despite overflowing granaries
(ii) high level of buffer stocks of foodgrains is very undesirable and can be wasteful
(iii) the storage of massive food stocks has been responsible for high carrying costs, in addition to wastage and deterioration in grain quality
Problems related with MSP
(i) Procurement is concentrrated in few prosperous regions
(ii) Farmers have diverted their land from caorse grains (staple food of the poor) to wheat and rice
(iii) led to enviormental degradation and fall in the water level
Problems related with PDS
(i) Average consumption figure varies from state to state
(ii) Poor have to depend on market, rather than the rations shops
(iii) PDS dealers are sometimes found restoring to malpractices
Role of Cooperatives in Food Security
The cooperatives are playing an important role in food security in India, especially in the southern and western parts of the country. The cooperative societies set up shops to sell goods to the poor people at lower prices. For example, out of all fair price shops operating in Tamil Nadu, nearly 94 percent are being run by the cooperatives. In Delhi, Mother Dairy is providing milk and vegetables to the consumers at controlled prices which are decided by the Delhi Government. Amul is another example in this regard. It has brought about the White Revolution in the country. There are many more cooperatives and NGOs also working intensively towards this direction.
Food security depends on the Public Distribution System (PDS),government vigilance and action at times, when this security is threatened.
Why food security?
The poorest section of the society might be food insecure most of the times while persons above the poverty line might also be food insecure when the country faces a national disaster.
Who are food-insecure?
Economic Groups - The worst affected groups are landless people with little or no land to depend upon, traditional artisans, providers of traditional services, petty self- employed workers and destitutes including beggars. In the urban areas, the food insecure families are those whose working members are generally employed in ill-paid occupations and casual labour market.
Social Groups - The SCs, STs and some sections of the OBCs (lower castes among them) who have either poor land-base or very low land productivity are prone to food insecurity. The people affected by natural disasters are also among the most food insecure people. A large proportion of pregnant and nursing mothers and children under the age of 5 years constitute an important segment of the food insecure population.
Food Insecure regions - Economically backward states with high incidence of poverty, tribal and remote areas, regions more prone to natural disasters etc have more food insecure people. In fact, the states of Uttar Pradesh (eastern and south-easter n parts), Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharasthra account for largest number of food insecure people.
Hunger is another aspect indicating food insecurity. Hunger has chronic and seasonal dimensions. Chronic hunger is a consequence of diets persistently inadequate in terms of quantity and/or quality. Poor people suffer from chronic hunger because of their very low income and in turn inability to buy food even for survival. Seasonal hunger is related to cycles of food growing and harvesting. This is prevalent in rural areas because of the seasonal nature of agricultural activities and in urban areas because of the casual labour. This type of hunger exists when a person is unable to get work for the entire year.
Indian measures to achieve self-sufficiency in food grains -
Green Revolution
(i) 'Green Revolution' especially in the production of wheat and rice.
(ii) Then Prime Minister of India, officially recorded the impressive strides of the Green revolution in agriculture by releasing a special stamp entitled 'Wheat Revolution' in July 1968. The success of wheat was later replicated in rice.
(iii) The highest rate of growth was achieved in Punjab and Haryana. Production in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Orissa and the northeastern states continued to stagger. Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, recorded significant increases in rice yield.
Food Security in India
India has become self-sufficient in foodgrains during the last thirty years because
(i) a variety of crops grown all over the country.
(ii) The availability of foodgrains at the country level has further been ensured with a carefully designed food security system
(i) Buffer Stock (ii) Public Distribution System
Buffer Stock is the stock of foodgrains, namely wheat and rice procured by the government through Food Corporation of India (FCI). The FCI purchases wheat and rice from the farmers in states where there is surplus production. The farmers are paid a pre-announced price for their crops. This price is called Minimum Support Price
Advantages of maintaining Buffer Stock
(i) distribute foodgrains in the deficit areas and among the poorer strata of society at a price lower than the market price also known as Issue Price
(ii) helps resolve the problem of shortage of food during adverse weather conditions or during the periods of calamity
Public Distribution System
Food procured by the FCI is distributed through government regulated ration shops among the poorer section of the society. This is called the public distribution system (PDS). There are about 5.5 lakh ration shops all over the country. Ration shops also known as Fair Price Shops keep stock of foodgrains, sugar, kerosene oil for cooking.
There are three kinds of ration cards: (a) Antyodaya cards for the poorest of the poor; (b) BPL cards for those below poverty line; and (c) APL cards for all others.
Rationing in India dates back to the 1940s against the backdrop of the Bengal famine, was revived in the wake of an acute food shortage during the 1960s, prior to the Green Revolution.
In the mid-1970s, three important food intervention programmes were introduced: Public Distribution System (PDS) for food grains (in existence earlier but strengthened thereafter); Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) (introduced in 1975 on an experimental basis) and Food-for -Work (FFW) (introduced in 1977-78).
Several Poverty Alleviation Programmes (PAPs), mostly in rural areas, which have an explicit food component also. While some of the programmes such as PDS, mid-day meals etc. are exclusively food security programmes, most of the PAPs also enhance food security.
Current Status of Public Distribution System
(i) In the beginning the coverage of PDS was universal with no discrimination between the poor and non-poor.
(ii) In 1992, Revamped Public Distribution System (RPDS) was introducted in 1,700 blocks in the country. The target was to provide the benefits of PDS to remote and backward areas.
(iii) From June 1997, Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) was introducted to adopt the principle of targeting the 'poor in all areas'.
(iv) In 2000, two special schemes were launched viz ., Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and the Annapurna Scheme (APS) with special target groups of 'poorest of the poor' and 'indigent senior citizens', respectively.
Importance of Public Distribution System
It helps in
(i) in stabilising prices and making food available to consumers at affordable prices
(ii) in averting widespread hunger and famine
(iii) the prices have been under revision in favour of poor households in general.
(iv) has contributed to an increase in food grain production
(v) provided income security to farmers in certain regions
Criticism of Public Distribution System
(i) instances of hunger are prevalent despite overflowing granaries
(ii) high level of buffer stocks of foodgrains is very undesirable and can be wasteful
(iii) the storage of massive food stocks has been responsible for high carrying costs, in addition to wastage and deterioration in grain quality
Problems related with MSP
(i) Procurement is concentrrated in few prosperous regions
(ii) Farmers have diverted their land from caorse grains (staple food of the poor) to wheat and rice
(iii) led to enviormental degradation and fall in the water level
Problems related with PDS
(i) Average consumption figure varies from state to state
(ii) Poor have to depend on market, rather than the rations shops
(iii) PDS dealers are sometimes found restoring to malpractices
Role of Cooperatives in Food Security
The cooperatives are playing an important role in food security in India, especially in the southern and western parts of the country. The cooperative societies set up shops to sell goods to the poor people at lower prices. For example, out of all fair price shops operating in Tamil Nadu, nearly 94 percent are being run by the cooperatives. In Delhi, Mother Dairy is providing milk and vegetables to the consumers at controlled prices which are decided by the Delhi Government. Amul is another example in this regard. It has brought about the White Revolution in the country. There are many more cooperatives and NGOs also working intensively towards this direction.
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