Manya Rathore
Research expert covering India
Food security in India - statistics & facts
India is faced with a glaring food paradox. Despite high agricultural yields and being the leading organic food producer in the world, the country ranked among the ones with serious hunger situations. However, the Indian government has challenged the results of WHO’s Global Health Index citing methodological deficiencies and insufficient or obsolete data.
The World Bank defines food security as everyone having physical and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. For food security objectives, four main dimensions namely, availability, access, utilization, and stability must be fulfilled. In India, the per capita food grain availability has increased over the years and agricultural and allied exports exports surged over 53 billion US dollars in the financial year 2023.
As per the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), over 74 percent of India’s population is unable to afford a healthy diet. Price volatility of certain foods impacts the purchasing power, especially for those with limited savings and income. Food price inflation accelerated since 2019 and climbed in most of the following years. In July 2023, the annual inflation exceeded 11 percent, the highest in a decade. High prices of agricultural commodities drove the government to tighten control over exports of food grains in 2023. Additionally, climate change amplifies these economic drivers of food insecurity. Indian agriculture is currently vulnerable to climate-induced natural disasters like floods, drought, groundwater depletion, soil degradation, and others.
In addition to public sector initiatives directed towards the modernization of storage capacities, the private sector is innovating in the packaging and storing of produce to increase its shelf life and prevent food loss. Services like DeHaat provide an online marketplace to farmers and buyers, reducing the number of intermediaries. There have also been growing efforts to help farmers adopt sustainable farming methods and efforts to counter the effects of climate change. Achieving zero hunger through increased food security not only sits at the heart of India’s Sustainable Development Goals but is also relevant for the world considering India’s position in the global food supply chain.
Food insecurity despite surplus?
So how is it that despite being one of the world’s largest producers of staples, the country faces food and nutritional security? In addition to overarching problems like poverty, unemployment, and climate change, the root of food insecurity in India lies not in a shortage of production but in a dysfunctional food distribution system and post-harvest infrastructure. Losses due to poor storage infrastructure and transit facilities cost the nation millions every year and intensify food insecurity.As per the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), over 74 percent of India’s population is unable to afford a healthy diet. Price volatility of certain foods impacts the purchasing power, especially for those with limited savings and income. Food price inflation accelerated since 2019 and climbed in most of the following years. In July 2023, the annual inflation exceeded 11 percent, the highest in a decade. High prices of agricultural commodities drove the government to tighten control over exports of food grains in 2023. Additionally, climate change amplifies these economic drivers of food insecurity. Indian agriculture is currently vulnerable to climate-induced natural disasters like floods, drought, groundwater depletion, soil degradation, and others.
Pathways to food security
India has implemented various robust safety net programs since independence, serving millions in the country. The National Food Security Act 2013 also known as the Right to Food Act, aims to provide subsidized food grains such as rice, wheat, and coarse grains to economically marginalized groups through the public distribution system. The public-stock holding program ensures that the government procures crops like rice and wheat from farmers at Minimum Support Prices (MSP) and distributes them to the vulnerable population through various initiatives. Additionally, programs such as the Integrated Child Development Scheme strive to enhance the nutritional well-being of pregnant and lactating women and children below six years of age.In addition to public sector initiatives directed towards the modernization of storage capacities, the private sector is innovating in the packaging and storing of produce to increase its shelf life and prevent food loss. Services like DeHaat provide an online marketplace to farmers and buyers, reducing the number of intermediaries. There have also been growing efforts to help farmers adopt sustainable farming methods and efforts to counter the effects of climate change. Achieving zero hunger through increased food security not only sits at the heart of India’s Sustainable Development Goals but is also relevant for the world considering India’s position in the global food supply chain.
