Assessing Food Security and Nutrition Challenges in India

Source: The post Assessing Food Security and Nutrition Challenges in India has been created, based on the article “What meal data reveals about hunger” published in “Business Standard” on 31st December 2024

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper3-food security

Context: The article discusses food security in India, noting that while most Indians meet their basic meal needs, significant numbers still face hunger and undernourishment. It emphasizes the need for better data on food quality and nutritional value to fully address food insecurity.

For detailed information on Food Security and Nutrition Report 2023 read Article 1, Article 2, Article 3

What Does the Data Say About Hunger in India?

1. The SOFI 2023 report estimates 74 million undernourished people in India between 2020 and 2022.
2. The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023 ranks India 111th out of 125 countries, highlighting challenges like child stunting, wasting, and undernourishment. This underscores widespread food insecurity.

How Many Meals Do Indians Consume?

1. The HCES 2022-23 survey shows that 97.5% of the population consumed at least 60 meals in 30 days, meeting the threshold of two meals a day.
2. Only 2.5% of the population, or around 35 million people, consumed fewer than 60 meals, suggesting occasional meal skipping or limited access to food.

What About the Quality of Food?

1. The HCES 2022-23 does not measure the quality of food consumed, which is critical for nutrition.
2. While most individuals meet their basic food needs, food diversity, and nutritional value are not assessed.
3. This indicates freedom from hunger, but not necessarily freedom from food insecurity.

What Are the Challenges in Assessing Food Security?

1. There is limited reliable data on the severity of hunger and food insecurity. For example, the NSS 78th round (2020-21)collected data on meal skipping due to a lack of resources, but this data is unavailable to the public.
2. Without detailed information on food quantity and quality, a full understanding of food insecurity remains elusive.

How Can Food Security Be Improved?

1. Addressing food insecurity requires policies that ensure access to nutritious, safe, and stable food.
2. Government programs providing free food grains help, but achieving zero hunger needs solutions for distribution, accessibility, and affordability.
3. Comprehensive data collection is essential to identify regional disparities and create targeted solutions.

Question for practice:

Examine how the availability of comprehensive data on food quality and nutritional value can influence the effectiveness of policies aimed at improving food security in India.