The global prevalence of undernourishment has persisted at pre-COVID-19 pandemic levels for the third consecutive year, with one in eleven people facing hunger globally, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report.
About Food Security
- Definition: Food security means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.
- Dimensions of Food Security:
- Physical Availability of Food: Food availability addresses the “supply side” of food security and is determined by the level of food production, stock levels and net trade.
- Economic and Physical Access to Food: An adequate national or international food supply alone does not ensure household food security. Addressing food access requires a focus on incomes, expenditures, markets, and prices to achieve food security goals.
- Food Utilisation: Food utilisation refers to how effectively the body uses nutrients, which is influenced by dietary diversity, food preparation, and intra-household distribution, affecting overall nutritional status.
- Stability Over Time: Food security must be stable over time, maintaining consistent access despite disruptions from adverse weather, political instability, or economic factors like rising food prices.
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About State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024
- Prepared by: The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024 has been jointly prepared by the by five specialized agencies of the United Nations — Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Launched in: The report was launched in the context of the G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty Task Force Ministerial Meeting in Brazil.
Key Findings of the Report
- Shortfall in Achieving SDG 2: Between 713 and 757 million people may have faced hunger in 2023, according to the latest SOFI report.
- This alarming figure serves as a stark warning that the world is falling significantly short of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, Zero Hunger, which is just six years away from the 2030 deadline.
- Global Hunger Reverts to 2008-2009 Levels: The world has been set back 15 years, with levels of undernourishment comparable to those in 2008-2009.
- Billions Struggle with Food Insecurity in 2023: In 2023, around 2.33 billion people globally faced moderate or severe food insecurity, a number that has remained largely unchanged since the sharp increase in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Among those facing food insecurity, over 864 million people experienced severe food insecurity, often going without food for an entire day or more.
- Regional trends vary significantly: 2023 Insights:
- Rising Hunger in Africa:
- Percentage: 20.4% of the population faces hunger, the highest globally.
- Numbers: Approximately 298.4 million people affected.
- Stable but High Hunger Rates in Asia:
- Percentage: 8.1% of the population faces hunger.
- Numbers: 384.5 million people, more than half of the world’s hungry population, are in Asia.
- Progress in Latin America:
- Percentage: 6.2% of the population faces hunger.
- Numbers: 41.0 million people affected.
- From 2022 to 2023, hunger increased in Western Asia, the Caribbean, and most African subregions.
- Future Trends: If current trends continue, 582 million people will be chronically undernourished by 2030, with half of them in Africa.
- Global Challenge: Unaffordable Healthy Diets: More than one-third of the global population, about 2.8 billion people, could not afford a healthy diet in 2022. A lack of economic access to healthy diets affects over a third of the global population, highlighting significant disparities and challenges in ensuring food security.
- Income-Based Inequalities in Diet Affordability
- Low-Income Countries: 71.5% of the population could not afford a healthy diet.
- Lower-Middle-Income Countries: 52.6% of the population faced this issue.
- Upper-Middle-Income Countries: 21.5% of the population was affected.
- High-Income Countries: 6.3% of the population could not afford a healthy diet.
- The number dropped below pre-pandemic levels in Asia and in North America and Europe, while it increased substantially in Africa.
- Key Drivers of Food Insecurity:
- Contributing Factors: Conflict, climate variability and extremes, economic slowdowns, and downturns are major factors driving food insecurity, undernourishment, and hunger.
- Underlying Factors: These issues are compounded by underlying factors such as lack of access to and unaffordability of healthy diets, unhealthy food environments, and high and persistent inequality.
- Challenges with Food Insecurity: The report highlights that these drivers of food insecurity are not only increasing in frequency and intensity but are also occurring more often simultaneously. When combined with the underlying issues, these factors are leading to a growing number of hungry and food-insecure people worldwide.
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Significance of Food Security in India
- Nutritional Health
- Preventing Malnutrition: Food security is crucial for preventing malnutrition, which can lead to various health issues, including stunted growth in children, weakened immune systems, and increased mortality rates.
- Promoting Healthy Growth: Ensuring access to a balanced diet supports the overall physical and cognitive development of children and improves health outcomes for adults.
- Economic Stability: Food security can help reduce poverty by ensuring that low-income families have access to affordable and nutritious food, which can improve productivity and economic stability.
- Social Stability: Adequate food access helps maintain social stability by reducing the risk of food-related conflicts and unrest, which can arise during food shortages or price hikes.
- Improving Quality of Life: Food security contributes to a better quality of life by reducing stress and improving the overall well-being of communities.
- Educational Outcomes:
- Enhancing Learning: Nutritionally secure children are more likely to attend school regularly, concentrate, and perform better academically. This contributes to higher educational attainment and better future opportunities.
- Reducing Dropout Rates: Ensuring food security can reduce dropout rates among children, particularly in vulnerable households, as school feeding programs can provide an additional incentive to stay in school.
- Supporting Agriculture: Food security initiatives often include support for local agriculture, which can promote sustainable farming practices and enhance food production capacities.
- Meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s): Addressing food security aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including ending hunger (SDG 2) and ensuring sustainable agriculture (SDG 12).
Government Initiatives for ensuring Food Security in India
- National Food Security Mission: The Mission was launched in 2007. This scheme aims to increase the production of key crops like rice, wheat, and pulses by expanding farming areas and improving productivity. It also works to restore soil fertility and improve farm economies.
- RKVY – Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (Raftaar): RKVY scheme was initiated in 2007 as an umbrella scheme for ensuring holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors by allowing states to choose their own agriculture and allied sector development activities as per the district/state agriculture plan.
- The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013: The Act aims to provide subsidised food grains to approximately two-thirds of the country’s population.
- The Act legally entitled up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population to receive subsidised food grains under the Targeted Public Distribution System.
- The work of identification of eligible households is to be done by States/UTS.
- Eldest women of the household of age 18 years or above to be deemed as head of the household for the purpose of issuing ration cards.
- Antyodaya Anna Yojana: It is the sponsored scheme of Government of India to provide highly subsidised food to millions of the poorest families.
- Under it, the poorest among the BPL families, benefiting from Targeted PDS, were identified by the respective state rural development departments through a Below Poverty Line (BPL) survey.
- Involvement of Cooperatives in Food Security: Cooperatives play a significant role in ensuring food security in India, particularly in the southern and western regions.
- In Tamil Nadu, approximately 94 percent of fair-price shops are operated by cooperatives.
- Delhi’s Mother Dairy offers milk and vegetables at controlled prices determined by the Delhi government, contributing to food security.
- Amul, a cooperative from Gujarat, has made significant strides in milk and milk product distribution, sparking the White Revolution in India.
International Organisations involved in ensuring Food Security
- World Food Programme: It was founded in 1961 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with its headquarters in Rome, Italy.
- It is also a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group (UN SDG), a coalition of UN agencies and organisations aimed at fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- It delivers food assistance and emergency relief to those in need, and works on hunger relief and nutrition programs.
- The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD): is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the United Nations based in Rome..
- Its mission is to eradicate poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries
- Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO): FAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
- World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16th October.
- It is one of the UN food aid organisations based in Rome (Italy).
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International Initiatives
- High-Level Task Force on Global Food and Nutrition Security (HLTF): The HLTF brings together various UN agencies, international financial institutions, and other organisations to address the challenge of achieving global food security.
- Its primary aim is to promote a comprehensive and unified response to food and nutrition security worldwide.
- Recently, the HLTF has also focused on famine prevention and mobilising support for the most affected countries.
- Zero Hunger Challenge: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has launched the “Zero Hunger Challenge,” with the goals of boosting economic growth, reducing poverty and protecting the environment.The challenge of Zero Hunger means:
- Zero stunted children less than 2 years
- 100% access to adequate food all year round
- All food systems are sustainable
- 100% increase in smallholder productivity and income
- Zero loss or waste of food
Challenges of Food Security in India
- Agricultural Constraints: India’s agriculture is heavily impacted by climate change and is monsoon dependent. The extreme weather events, and rising temperatures, also affects crop yields and food production.
- Issues of Land Fragmentation, Lack of adequate Infrastructure, low productivity, financial constraints and water scarcity also affect the Agricultural productivity of India.
- Inefficient Supply Chains: Poor infrastructure and inefficient supply chains lead to high food wastage and spoilage. Inadequate storage facilities and transportation issues contribute to the loss of perishable goods.
- Nutrition Knowledge: Lack of awareness about nutrition and healthy eating practices can lead to poor dietary choices, even when food is available.
- There are widespread deficiencies in essential micronutrients (such as iron, vitamin A, and iodine) impact public health and development.
- India faces a double burden, the coexistence of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies and obesity.
- High Poverty Rates: Persistent poverty affects millions of people, making it difficult for them to consistently access adequate food.
- Implementation Challenges: Issues in the implementation of food security programs, including inefficiencies and corruption, can hinder their effectiveness.
- Increased Demand: Rapid population growth increases the demand for food, placing additional pressure on agricultural systems and resources.
Measures for ensuring Food & Nutrition Security in India
- There is a need to adopt a Three-Sided Approach to ensure the Food and Nutritional Security in India
- Shifting of Consumer Demands: Need to be shifted towards healthy and sustainable diets.
- Corporations, civil societies and the health community could partner with social media influencers to promote locally-grown, nutritious, healthier, and sustainable food.
- The Public Distribution System, mid-day meals, railways catering, and religious institutions can also help to provide food access to people.
- Support to Farmers: By motivating them to adopt remunerative and regenerative agricultural practices.
- Need to increase funding of associated schemes like the National Mission on Natural Farming.
- Need to broaden up agro-ecological practices such as agroforestry, conservation agriculture, precision farming, etc.
- Need to move from input subsidies to direct cash support to farmers per hectare of cultivation.
- Approach by Middlemen: Prioritising direct procurement from farmers, incentivise procurement of sustainably harvested produce, and implement well-established approaches such as fair trade.
- Shift farm-to-fork value chains towards more sustainable and inclusive ones.
- Need to promote young agri-tech enterprises such as DeHaat and Ninjacart.
- Need to enable trading of produce between Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) to ensure a greater value share for farmers.
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July 25, 2024
