Food security Essay

Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is unques? onably the largest livelihood provider in India, more so in the vast rural areas. It also contributes a signi? cant ? gure to the Gross Domes? c Product (GDP). Sustainable agriculture, in terms of food security, rural employment, and environmentally sustainable technologies such as soil conserva? on, sustainable natural resource management and biodiversity protec? on, are essen? al for holis? c rural development. Indian agriculture and allied ac? vi? es have witnessed a green revolu? on, a white revolu? on, a yellow revolu?on and a blue revolu? on Food security is a condition related to the ongoing availability of food. Concerns over food security have existed throughout history. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), food security â€Å"exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life†. Ensuring food security ought to be an issue of great importance for a country like India where more than one-third of the population is estimated to be absolutely poor and one-half of all children malnourished in one way or another. There have been many emerging issues in the context of food security in India in the last two decades. These are: (i) economic liberalization in the 1990s and its impact on agriculture and food security; (ii) establishment of WTO: particularly the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) under it; (iii) challenges of climate change; crisis of the three Fs, viz. , food prices, fuel prices, and financial crisis; (iv) the phenomenon of hunger amidst plenty, i. e. , accumulation of stocks in the early years of this decade and in 2008-09 along with high levels of poverty; (v)introduction of targeting in the Public Distribution System (PDS) for the first time in the 1990s; (vi). ‘Right to Food’ campaign for improving food security in the country and the Supreme Court Orders on mid-day meal schemes; (vii) proposal for National Food Security Law (Right to Food); These developments in the last two decades have provided both opportunities and challenges for food and nutrition security of the country. It may be noted that the slowdown in agriculture growth could be attributed to structural factors on the supply side, such as public investment, credit, technology, land and water management, etc., rather than globalization and trade reforms per se. There are six deficits in Indian agriculture. These are: (i) investment, credit, and infrastructure deficit; (ii) land and water management deficit; (iii) research and extension (technology) deficit; (iv) market deficit; (v) diversification deficit; and (vi) institutions deficit. Reforms are needed to reduce these deficits in order to achieve the following goals of agriculture: (i) 4 per cent growth in agriculture; (ii) equity in terms of higher growth in lagging regions, small and marginal farmers, and women; and (iii) sustainability. India has government programmes such as TPDS including AAY, nutrition programmes like mid-day meals, ICDS, etc. to improve food and nutrition security. NREGS and self-employment programmes can also increase access to food and nutrition. Social protection programmes in India have helped in improving incomes as well as I providing protection to the population, especially to the poor, from shocks in the economy. However, there are lots of gaps and inefficiencies in the social protection programmes. India has many policies and programmes. However, food insecurity and malnutrition continue to be high. The problem is with both design and implementation of the programmes. The focus of reforms can now be shifted to more efficient delivery systems of public services. It has been recognized that better governance is very important for effective functioning of food-based programmes. Social mobilization, community participation and decentralized approach are necessary in this context. It may, however, to be noted that governance has to be contextualized in relation to the socio-economic environment. Appropriate institutions are needed for better implementation of policies and programmes.