Ridding India of food insecurity

Source– The post is based on the article “Ridding India of food insecurity” published in “The Times of India” on 12th September 2023.

Syllabus: GS2- Social Issues – Issues related to hunger. GS3- Issues of food security

News– India is facing accelerating food-price inflation. The rise in the price of food first accelerated sharply in 2019. In July this year, annual inflation exceeded 11%, the highest in a decade.

What are challenges related to food insecurity in India?

As per the ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’ report from the FAO, an estimated 74% of the population in India cannot afford a healthy diet. This translates to approximately one billion individuals.

A study highlighted in The Hindu newspaper examined the price trends of food in Mumbai city from 2018 to 2023.

It revealed that during this period, the cost of preparing a homemade “thaali” has surged by 65%. In contrast, the average income of a manual laborer has increased by 38%, and that of a salaried worker has gone up by 28%.

The latest National Family Health Survey estimated that over 50% of adult women were suffering from anemia.

Traditional macroeconomic policies aimed at controlling inflation have proven ineffective in this context.

The Reserve Bank of India has faltered in this regard. Inflation rates have consistently exceeded their targets for the past four years. Their strategy of “inflation targeting,” does not address food inflation stemming from supply-side issues.

What are some facts about the green revolution?

The government launched a supply-side strategy by equipping farmers with high-yielding seeds, affordable credit, and guaranteed prices through procurement.

This endeavor achieved remarkable success. Within a short span, India no longer relied on food imports. It facilitated India’s aspiration for self-sufficiency.

However, there were some mistakes at the level of strategy. There was excessive use of chemical fertilizers that led to soil degradation.

There was also an overemphasis on procurement prices rather than boosting productivity to enhance farm incomes. It contributes to inflation.

The policy predominantly concentrated on cereals rather than pulses, a primary source of protein for most Indians.

What is the way forward to achieve the goal of food security?

The focus should be on rectifying the challenges created by the green revolution. There is a need to prioritize the specific objective of reducing the cost of food production.

The Green revolution paid insufficient attention to the cost of producing food. Therefore, a second agricultural revolution is now imperative.  Containing the escalating food prices necessitates multifaceted action. It demands a mission-oriented approach.

Farm-focused measures to boost yields and contain production costs are essential.

There is need for improvement in key areas like extending irrigation to cover 100% of the net sown area, eliminating land leasing restrictions, accelerating agricultural research, and reinstating extension services.

The ongoing subdivision of already small land holdings diminishes the potential for investments in productivity-enhancing capital. Allowing land leasing could provide a solution to this issue.

India’s network of public agricultural research institutions needs revitalization to reclaim the pivotal role they played in the 1960s. The extension services need to be reinvigorated.

The active participation of states is crucial. In the 1960s, the states selected for the adoption of new agricultural technology worked closely with the central government.

A similar collaborative approach is essential to make a substantial impact nationwide. The central government and states should work together in the spirit of cooperative federalism.

A pragmatic approach is necessary, both at the national level and within individual states, to bring about meaningful change.

An important aspect of the first Green Revolution was that it embraced a capitalist approach by relying on private enterprise, and compromised on socialist principles. The objective was to make India self-sufficient in food.

Therefore, in the current context, no approach should be dismissed if it aligns with ecological sustainability.