Food Security

Introduction
Food security means making
sure that everyone always has
enough food that they can get
easily and afford.
Poor families face more
problems with not having enough
food when there are issues with
growing or getting food.
Making sure there's enough food
depends on the Public
Distribution System (PDS) and the
government taking action when
there's a threat to food security.
 What is Food Security?
Food security means more than just eating two proper meals a day.
It means everyone always has enough food to stay healthy. It
focuses on making sure people can get the food they need every
day to live well.
 Food security has the following
dimensions:
Availability of
Accessibility Affordability
food

Availability of food
Affordability implies that a
production within the
Accessibility means food person has enough
country, food imports,
is within reach of every money to buy sufficient
and the previous years
person. nutritious and safe food to
stock stored in
meet one’s dietary needs.
government granaries.
 Why Food Security?
Reduction in the
Hoarding and
Overpopulation net sown area
black marketing
under cereals

Corrupt
Reduction of land
administrative Natural calamities
under cultivation
practices
 How is Food Security
affected during a
Calamity?
Natural calamities like drought can
reduce food grain production,
leading to shortages and starvation,
potentially escalating to famine.
Famine results in widespread deaths
from starvation and epidemics.
Loss of body resistance worsens
famine conditions.
 How is Food Security
affected during a
Calamity?
Regions like Kalahandi and Kashipur
in Orissa have faced famine-like
conditions with reported starvation
deaths.
Continuous food security measures
are vital to maintain consistent food
supply and prevent hunger and
famine.
Who are Food-insecure?

In India, vulnerable groups include

landless people, traditional artisans, small
self-employed workers, and beggars.
In cities, food-insecure families include
low-wage workers, seasonal labourers,
and those who struggle to buy food due to
social issues. SCs, STs, and some OBCs
with low land productivity also face food
insecurity.
People affected by natural disasters and
malnourished women are among the most
at risk.
Which States are more Food Insecure?
In economically backward states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand,
and others, food insecurity is high due to poverty, tribal areas, natural
disasters, and remote locations.
 Hunger
Hunger is another aspect indicating food insecurity. Hunger is not just an expression of
poverty, it brings about poverty. The attainment of food security, therefore, involves
eliminating current hunger and reducing the risk of future hunger. Hunger has chronic and
seasonal dimensions.

Seasonal Hunger Chronic Hunger

Seasonal hunger is related to the cycle of Chronic hunger is a consequence of
food growing and harvesting. diets continuously inadequate in terms
During off season, prices of foodgrains of quality.
become high or there can be a shortage of The basic cause of chronic hunger is
foodgrains. very low income.
This situation leads to seasonal hunger. The type of hunger exists when a
This type of hunger exists when a person is person is unable to get work for the
unable to get work for the entire year
entire year.
After independence, Indian policymakers adopted all measures to
achieve self-sufficiency in food grains. India adopted a new strategy in
agriculture, which resulted in the ‘Green Revolution’, especially in the
production of wheat and rice.

Since the advent of the Green

Revolution in the early '70s, the
country has avoided famine even
during adverse weather
conditions.
Impact of Green Revolution
The success of the Green Revolution
has made India self-sufficient in good
grains.
Because of the Green Revolution, there
was an increase in the production of
wheat and rice.
A higher rate of growth was achieved in
Punjab and Haryana.
Tami Nadu and Andhra Pradesh
recorded a significant increase in rice
yield.
The increase in the production of food
grains helps the Government to build
buffer stock.
This buffer stock led to food security.
 Food Security in
India
India has become self-sufficient in
foodgrains during the thirty years
because of a variety of crops grow in
the whole country.

The availability of food grains at the

country level has further been ensured
with a carefully designed food system.

This system has two components: (a)

Buffer Stock (b) Public Distribution
System.
 Buffer Stock

Buffer Stock, managed by the

Food Corporation of India (FCI),
consists of government-
purchased surplus wheat and rice
from states with excess
production. The FCI procures
these grains right after harvesting
and releases them through Fair
Price Shops.
 Buffer Stocks
The key goal is price stability, crucial for safeguarding the interests of
both producers and consumers, with varying conditions favoring each
group.

If there is a bumper crop: by guaranteeing to purchase crops at a pre-

announced price, the government ensures that the price of wheat does
not crash, and farmer's interests are protected.

If there is a crop deficit: in this situation, wheat would be released from

the buffer stock; it would be made available for sale in the market, Supply
of wheat would increase. price of wheat could come down. Thus buffer
stocks help to protect the interests of both producers and consumers.
 Public Distribution
System

The food procured by the FCI is

distributed through government-
regulated ration shops among the
poorer section of society. This is
called the Public Distribution
System (PDS). Ration shops are
now present in most localities,
villages, towns, and cities. There
are about 4.6 lakh ration shops all
over the country.
Public Distribution System (PDS)
Rations shops also known as Fair Price Shops, keep stock of foodgrains,
sugar, and kerosene oil for cooking.

These items are sold to people at a price lower than the market price.

Any family with a ration card can buy a stipulated amount of these items
every month from the nearby ration shops.
 The introduction of
Rationing in India dates back
to the 1940s against the
backdrop of the Bengal
Famine. The rationing
system was revived in the
wake of an acute food
shortage during the 1960s,
prior to the Green
Revolution.
In the wake of the high incidence of poverty levels, as reported by NSSO
in the mid-1970s, three important food intervention programs were
introduced.
Public Distribution Integrated Child
System for Development
Food-for-work
Foodgrains (in Services (ICDS)
programme
existence earlier but introduced in 1975 on
introduced in 1977-78
strengthened an experimental
thereafter). basis.

At present, there are 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 Programmers, most of
the PAPs also enhance food security.
National Food for Work Programme
Launched on November 14, 2004, in the 150 most
backward districts.
Aims to intensify supplementary wage
employment generation.
Open to all rural poor seeking manual unskilled
work.
Implemented as a 100% centrally sponsored
scheme.
States receive free food grains to support the
program.
The Collector at the district level is the nodal
officer with various responsibilities.
Allocation for 2004-05: Rs 2,020 crore and 20
lakh tonnes of food grains.
Current State of Public Distribution
System
In 1992, Revamped Public Distribution System (RPDS) was introduced in
1,700 blocks in the country. the target was to provide the benefits of
PDS to remote and backward areas.

Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) was introduced to adopt the

principle of targeting the ‘poor in all areas’. it was for the first time that
a differential price was adopted for the poor and non-poor.

Two special schemes were launched in 2000. (a) Antyodaya Anna Yojana
(AAY) (b) Annapurna Scheme (APS) with special target groups of ‘poorest
of the poor’ and ‘indigent senior citizens.
Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY)

Launched in December 2000, the

Antyodaya Anna Yojana aimed to
support 1 crore of the poorest
families identified under the Below
Poverty Line survey by providing
subsidized food grains.
The scheme expanded twice,
eventually covering 2 crore families
by August 2004.
Problems associated with Public
Distribution System
There is a general consensus that a high level of buffer stocks of food grains is very
undesirable and can be wasteful. the storage of massive food stocks has been
responsible for high carrying costs, in addition to wastage and deterioration in grain
quality.

The increase in food grain procurement at enhanced MSP is the result of the pressure
exerted by leading foodgrain-producing states, such as Punjab, Haryana, and Andhra
Pradesh.

PDS dealers are sometimes found resorting to malpractices like diverting the grains to
the open market to get a better margin, selling poor quality grains at ration shops, the
irregular opening of the shops, etc.
Role of Cooperatives in
Food Security
The cooperative is also 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 low-priced goods to poor people.
In Delhi, Mother Dairy is making strides in
the provision of milk and vegetables to the
consumers at a controlled rate decided by
the Government of Delhi. Amul is another
success story of cooperatives in milk.
Role of Cooperatives in
Food Security
In Maharashtra, the Academy of
Development Science (ADS) has facilitated a
network of NGOs for setting up grain banks
in different regions.
ADS organizes training and capacity-building
programs on food security for NGOs.
Grain Banks are now slowly taking shape in
different parts of Maharashtra. Ads efforts to
set up Grain Banks, to facilitate replication
through other NGOs, and to influence the
Government’s policy on food security are
thus paying rich dividends.
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