Feeding India: 

Feeding India: 

Context:

According to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS 4)- there are 47.5 million stunted children in India out of 154.8 million globally. This is because of poor diet, poor healthcare and poor sanitation.

India’s ranking on Global Hunger Index:

• India’s ranking in the International Food Policy Research Institute’s (IFPRI’s) 2017 Global Hunger Index has invited much comment and criticism among India’s intellectual elite.
• The index illustrates the complexity of India’s malnutrition problem.
• India has slipped to 100 among 119 countries in the 2017 Global Hunger Index, down from 97 among the 118 countries in 2016.
• The Government of India’s National Nutrition Strategy announced in September 2017 provides the comprehensive approach with a National Nutrition Mission combined with strengthening decentralized delivery.

Key highlights of the report:

• In 2017 GHI, India scored 31.4 and was placed in high end of “serious” category. India low ranking also influences South Asia’s regional score as three quarters of South Asia’s population reside in India.
• India’s neighbours ranking are Nepal (72), Myanmar (77), Bangladesh (88), Sri Lanka (84) and China (29)—except Pakistan (106) and Afghanistan (107).
• Even North Korea (93) and Iraq (78) fared better in hunger parameters and GHI rankings,
• More than 20% of Indian children under the age of five have lower weight in relation to their height and about 33% are too short in relation to their age. Despite India being world’s second largest food producer it has second highest under-nourished population in the world.

What is Global Hunger Index (GHI)?

• The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger globally and by country and region.
• Calculated each year by the International Food Policy Research Institute(IFPRI), the GHI  highlight successes and failures in hunger reduction and provides insight into the drivers of hunger.
• By raising awareness and understanding of regional and country differences in hunger, the GHI aims to trigger actions to reduce hunger.
• It ranks countries on a 0 to 100-point scale calculated by taking into account four indicator parameters. Zero means best score (no hunger) and 100 is worst.
• Global Hunger Index highlights successes and failures in hunger reduction and provides insights into the drivers of hunger.

On what parameters is GHI measured?

The GHI is calculated by taking into account four key parameters:

• shares of undernourished population
• wasted
• stunted children aged under 5
• infant mortality rate of the same age group(1/3rd weight)

What is IFPRI?

• The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition in developing countries.
• FPRI’s vision is a world free of hunger and malnutrition.
• Its mission is to provide research-based policy solutions that sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition.

What are the major objectives of IFPRI?

• Research at IFPRI focuses on six strategic areas:

Ensuring Sustainable Food Production

• IFPRI’s research analyzes options for policies, institutions, innovations, and technologies that can advance sustainable food production in a context of resource scarcity, threats to biodiversity, and climate change.

Promoting Healthy Food Systems

• IFPRI examines how to improve diet quality and nutrition for the poor, focusing particularly on women and children, and works to create synergies among the three vital components of the food system: agriculture, health, and nutrition.

Improving Markets and Trade

• IFPRI’s research focuses on strengthening markets and correcting market failures to enhance the benefits from market participation for small-scale farmers.

Transforming Agriculture

• The aim of IFPRI’s research in this area is to accelerate the transformation from low-income, rural, agriculture-based economies to high-income, more urbanized, and industrial service-based ones.

Building Resilience

• IFPRI’s research explores the causes and impacts of environmental factors that can affect food security, nutrition, health, and well-being

Strengthening Institutions and Governance

• IFPRI’s research on institutions centers on collective action in management of natural resources and farmer organizations.

What are the factors causing malnutrition in India?

Lack of awareness

• Lack of awareness among people about sufficient health and nutrition is the primary reason (about wholesome, balanced and natural diets; healthy child-feeding and caring practices)

Access to nutritious food

• People’s access to sufficient and nutritious food is equally important, which is still to be addressed
• IFPRI’s Global Hunger Index (GHI) shows India ranked 97 among 118 countries on hunger in 2016.
• The disparity in calorie consumption among income classes in rural and urban areas declined.
• Access to Public Distribution System had a greater impact in explaining the increase in calorie consumption per rupee compared to cash transfers,  a smaller portion of which was spent on calories.

What are the salient features of the National food security Mission in India?

• National Food Security Mission (NFSM) is a Central Scheme of GOI launched in 2007
• The aim is to bridge the yield gap in respect of these crops through dissemination of improved technologies and farm management practices.
• The targets of 11th five year exceeded and it was extended to 12th five-year plan in 2012.
• In the 12th Plan, NFSM aims at raising the food grain production by 25 million tones.

What are the primary objectives of the National food security Mission?

• Restoring soil fertility and productivity at the individual farm level.
• Promotion and extension of improved technologies
• Productions of breeder seeds are done under ICAR while certified seeds and pulses are implemented by State and District agencies

National Nutrition Mission:  It has two components:

1. Multi-sectoral Nutrition programme to address Maternal and Child Undernutrition in 200 high-burden districts, which aims at prevention and reduction in child undernutrition (underweight prevalence in children under 3 years of age) and reduction in levels of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women has been launched in January 2014.
2. Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign against malnutrition: To create awareness about nutrition challenges and promote home-level feeding practices a Nationwide Information, Education and Communication campaign against malnutrition has been launched during 2012-13.  

Does the constitution of India pledge the right to food?

• • The right to food or in general the economic, social, and cultural rights are defined in Part IV of the Constitution as Directive Principles of State Policy
  • The Right to Food in Indian Constitution is not recognized as a “Fundamental Right”
  • Article 21 and 47 of the constitution obliges the Government of India to take appropriate measures to ensure a dignified life with adequate food for all citizens.

Article 47

• • Article 47 of the Indian Constitution provides that it is the “duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health”.

Article 21

• Protection of life and personal liberty – No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty

What are the causes of India’s poor performance at GHI?

Improper implementation

• A major hindrance in fighting starvation in India is the lack of proper implementation of government schemes which are directed towards providing food for one and all

Corruption is the root cause

• Corruption on the local levels or there is a disinterest among the government officials to ensure that the schemes are properly being carried out.

Flawed food distribution system

• Almost 51% of the food delivered is lost to leakages and is sold in the open market for a higher price.

Loopholes in the National Food Security Bill

• Clear mechanisms with respect to the identification of beneficiaries have not been defined.
• The bill states that the states will provide the list of the poor but the states obviously do not possess such records.

What is the way ahead?

• One effort to address the hunger (and nutrition) challenge is the enactment of the National Food Security Act
• To improve nutritional content in food products, steps must be taken towards universal food fortification.
• Adequate funding is required for the effective implementation of any nutrition scheme
• Many of the causes for the occurrence of malnutrition is known, however attention needs to be paid to understanding what prevents the nation from achieving its goals related to nutrition.
• Attention needs to be paid on building neighborhood health and nutrition profiles and carrying out interventions based on identified needs.
• India needs to implement its announced strategy with a focus on evidence, results and communities with a focus on improved outcomes for the poor and accountability for those in governance, and the solution need to go far beyond the expansion of sanitation, important as that is.