Definition of Food Security:
Food security means having enough food that is accessible, affordable, and available to everyone at all times. It’s not just about having food, but ensuring it is safe, nutritious, and sufficient for a healthy life. The concept includes three key factors:

  1. Availability of Food: This refers to the production of food within a country, imports, and the stock of food from previous years that is stored in government warehouses.
  2. Accessibility: Food must be reachable by everyone, meaning no one should be physically or economically prevented from accessing it.
  3. Affordability: People must have enough income to buy sufficient and nutritious food.

Why Food Security Matters:

  • Poor households are more vulnerable to food insecurity, especially during issues related to food production or distribution, like natural calamities (e.g., droughts, floods, or famines).
  • Natural disasters can lead to a shortage of food, increasing prices, which makes it difficult for some people to afford it.
  • Food insecurity also affects people even if they are not living in extreme poverty, especially during national emergencies like famine or disaster.

Historical Context and Concepts:

  • Famine is a severe form of food insecurity, where widespread death occurs due to starvation. A famous example is the Bengal Famine of 1943, which caused the death of 30 lakh people.
  • In the 1970s, food security was defined as having an “adequate supply of basic foodstuffs.” Amartya Sen, a famous economist, added a crucial aspect: “access” to food, through entitlements like income and food distribution by the government.
  • The 1996 World Food Summit defined food security as when everyone, at all times, has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs. They also emphasized the importance of poverty eradication to improve food access.

Food Insecurity During Calamities:

  • Natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, droughts) can lead to a decrease in food production and make food scarce, causing food prices to rise. In such times, even middle-class people can struggle to afford food.
  • Famine is often a result of extreme food scarcity due to widespread disaster or crop failure, leading to mass starvation and death. Epidemics may also occur due to poor sanitation caused by famine.

Who Faces Food Insecurity in India?

  • Landless people, casual laborers, artisans, and those working in low-wage jobs are the most food-insecure in India.
  • In cities, poor workers in low-paying jobs (e.g., rickshaw pullers, street vendors) are food-insecure.
  • Other vulnerable groups include the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and people from economically backward areas or regions prone to natural disasters.
  • Women, especially pregnant and nursing mothers, and children under 5 are at a higher risk of malnutrition and food insecurity.

Examples of Food Insecurity:

  • Story of Ramu: Ramu is a casual laborer in agriculture. Since agriculture is seasonal, he works only during sowing and harvesting seasons. For the rest of the year, he struggles to find work. His family often faces food insecurity, especially when he is unemployed.
  • Story of Ahmad: Ahmad is a rickshaw puller in Bangalore. His income varies daily, so he faces food insecurity at times. However, he has a yellow card (part of the Public Distribution System or PDS) that provides him with food at subsidized prices, helping him survive with limited earnings.

Types of Hunger:

  • Chronic hunger occurs when people don’t have enough food consistently due to low income.
  • Seasonal hunger is related to the cycle of agricultural work, where people face food shortages when work is unavailable, like in the rainy season for construction laborers.
  • Hunger can lead to both poverty and malnutrition.

How India Tackles Food Security:

  1. Green Revolution: Since the 1970s, India has been striving for self-sufficiency in food grains, especially through high-yielding varieties of crops like wheat and rice. This has helped India avoid famines and ensured consistent food availability.
  2. Minimum Support Price (MSP): The government sets an MSP to encourage farmers to grow more food by guaranteeing a price for their crops.
  3. Buffer Stock: The government keeps a stock of food grains in granaries to ensure food is available during shortages and natural calamities.
  4. Public Distribution System (PDS): Food grains are distributed to poorer sections of society through government-controlled ration shops. People with below-poverty-line (BPL) cards can buy food at subsidized rates, ensuring food access for vulnerable communities.

Conclusion: Food security is a complex issue that requires ensuring the availability, access, and affordability of food for everyone, especially the most vulnerable groups. India has made significant progress in increasing food production and improving food distribution systems, but challenges remain, especially in ensuring food access during calamities, and for certain disadvantaged groups.

Extra Knowledge for Competitive Exams:

  • Amartya Sen’s entitlement approach: It’s important to understand the role of entitlements (like income or government support) in accessing food, as this helps in analyzing food security.
  • Green Revolution: The success of high-yielding varieties in wheat and rice, especially in states like Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh, is critical for understanding India’s agricultural growth.
  • National Food Security Act (2013): This law is aimed at providing subsidized food grains to two-thirds of India’s population. Understanding its provisions can help answer questions related to current food security policies.
  • PDS and MSP: Knowledge of how these systems function is crucial, especially in questions about how the government supports food security and encourages farmers.
  1. Buffer Stock:
    • Definition: Buffer stock refers to a stockpile of food grains (mainly wheat and rice) procured by the government, specifically through the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
    • Procurement Process: The FCI purchases wheat and rice from farmers in regions where production exceeds local demand. These grains are stored for future use, especially in times of scarcity or natural disasters.
    • Purpose: The key purpose of buffer stock is to stabilize food prices, ensure adequate food availability during shortages, and help control inflation.
  2. Public Distribution System (PDS):
    • Ration Shops: The PDS operates through ration shops (also called fair price shops) across India. These shops sell food grains, sugar, and kerosene at lower-than-market prices to eligible households.
    • Ration Cards: People who hold a ration card can buy a fixed quantity of food items each month at subsidized rates. There are different types of ration cards:
      • Antyodaya cards: For the poorest families.
      • BPL (Below Poverty Line) cards: For families below the poverty line.
      • APL (Above Poverty Line) cards: For families that are above the poverty line but still may benefit from the PDS at higher prices.
    • Problems: Issues in PDS include irregular opening of ration shops, poor-quality food, malpractices like diverting grains to the open market, and storage issues. Some families, especially those above the poverty line, receive little benefit from the system.
  3. Food Security Programs:
    • History: Food security became a critical concern in India after the Bengal famine of the 1940s and the food shortages of the 1960s. In response, various government schemes were introduced, like the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), Food-for-Work (FFW), and Public Distribution System (PDS).
    • National Food Security Act (2013): This act ensures food and nutritional security for households at affordable prices, providing 75% of rural and 50% of urban populations with subsidized food.
  4. Buffer Stock Problems:
    • The Food Corporation of India (FCI) sometimes holds excessive amounts of food grains, resulting in wasted resources and high storage costs. This is often due to the large-scale procurement of rice and wheat, especially in surplus states like Punjab and Haryana.
    • These grains may deteriorate in quality or go unused if not distributed promptly, leading to inefficiencies.
    • Environmental Impact: Increased rice production, incentivized by high Minimum Support Prices (MSP), requires large amounts of water, leading to environmental issues like water depletion.
  5. Minimum Support Price (MSP):
    • Definition: MSP is the price at which the government buys food grains from farmers to ensure they receive fair compensation. It is designed to protect farmers from price fluctuations in the market.
    • Impact: While MSP has helped increase production in certain areas, it also raises procurement costs for the government, including storage, transportation, and maintenance costs.
  6. Challenges in Ensuring Food Security:
    • Economic Disparities: The poorest people in rural areas and casual laborers in urban areas are the most vulnerable to food insecurity. These groups often face hunger during seasons of low agricultural productivity.
    • Regional Disparities: Some regions, particularly in economically backward states and areas prone to natural disasters, experience higher levels of food insecurity.
  7. Cooperatives and NGOs:
    • Role: Cooperatives play a significant role in food security by managing fair price shops and providing essential commodities at controlled prices. For example, cooperatives in Tamil Nadu manage most of the ration shops, and organizations like Amul and Mother Dairy supply milk and other products at affordable rates.
    • Grain Banks: NGOs like the Academy of Development Science (ADS) in Maharashtra have set up grain banks to provide food during times of crisis, especially in drought-prone areas.
  8. Types of Hunger:
    • Seasonal Hunger: Occurs during certain times of the year when food production is low, such as after harvest seasons.
    • Chronic Hunger: A long-term condition where people do not have enough access to food, usually because of poverty, inadequate resources, or low income.
  9. Government Schemes:
    • Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): Provides food grains at very low prices to the poorest families.
    • Mid-Day Meal Scheme: Ensures that children receive at least one nutritious meal during school hours, combating malnutrition and encouraging school attendance.
  10. Current Status:
  • Despite various programs, challenges persist due to issues like poor distribution, inefficiencies in PDS, and occasional mismanagement of resources.

Conclusion

India’s food security system is a complex network of programs designed to ensure that food is available, accessible, and affordable for all. While the introduction of programs like buffer stock, PDS, and various welfare schemes has helped many, issues like inefficiency, corruption, and rising costs continue to pose challenges. The role of cooperatives and NGOs further supports the government’s efforts in ensuring food security, especially in marginalized areas.

IMPORTANT NOTE:-

  • Buffer Stock stabilizes food prices and ensures supply during shortages.
  • PDS delivers food at subsidized rates to the poor but faces issues like poor-quality grains and irregular service.
  • Government Schemes like AAY, Mid-Day Meals, and grain banks help reduce food insecurity.
  • Challenges include environmental issues, inefficiencies in storage and transportation, and unequal distribution across regions.

THESE ALL ARE THE NOTES OF CHAPTER 4 ECONOMICS. AND AFTER SOME TIME YOU GET IMPORTANT QUESTIONS HERE. *#THANKS FOR VISITING, VISIT AGAIN#* 😊