Food security is ensured in a country when the three dimensions of food security are taken care of. The three dimensions are:
Availabilityof food - Presence of enough food for all the persons
Accessibilityof food - Absence of barrier on access to food
Affordabilityof food - Capability of all persons to buy food of acceptable quality
By: Admin
A large section of people suffer from food and nutrition insecurity in India. However, the worst affected groups areas follows:
→ Landless and land-poor households, traditional artisans, providers of traditional services, petty self-employed workers and destitute including beggars (in the rural areas).
→ People employed in ill-paid occupations and casual labourers engaged in seasonal activities (in the urban areas).
→ People belonging to the backward sections of society, namely SCs, STs and OBCs
→ People belonging to economically-backward states with high incidence of poverty, tribal and remote areas and regions more prone to natural disasters.
→ People affected by natural disasters who have to migrate to other areas in search of work.
→ Large proportion of pregnant and nursing mothers, and children under the age of 5 years.
By: Admin
The economically-backward states with high incidence of poverty are more food insecure in India. The states of Uttar Pradesh (eastern and south-eastern parts), Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra account for the largest number of food insecure people in the country
By: Admin
In the late 1960s, the Green Revolution introduced the Indian farmer to the cultivation of high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of seeds. The HYVs (coupled with chemical fertilisers and pesticides) led to a growth in the productivity of food grains (especially wheat and rice), thereby helping India attain self-sufficiency in food grains. Since the advent of the Green Revolution, the country has avoided famine even during adverse weather conditions.
By: Admin
Despite large increase in foodgrain production we find people without food in India. Poor people suffer from chronic hunger. They find themselves unable to buy food. Over one-fifth of the country’s population still suffers from chronic hunger.
By: Admin
When there is a disaster or a calamity, the production of food grains decreases in the affected area. This in turn creates a shortage of food in the area. Due to the food shortage, the prices go up. The raised prices of food materials affect the capacity of many people to buy the same. When the calamity occurs in a very wide spread area or is stretched over a long period of time, it may cause a situation of starvation. A massive starvation can take the form of famine.
By: Admin
Seasonal hunger is related to cycles of food growing and harvesting. This is prevalent in rural areas because of the seasonal nature of agricultural activities, and in urban areas because of the casual labour (e.g., there is less work for casual construction labour during the rainy season). This type of hunger exists when a person is unable to get work for the entire year.
Chronic hunger is a consequence of diets persistently inadequate in terms of quantity and/or quality. Poor people suffer from chronic hunger because of their very low income and in turn, inability to buy food even for survival.
By: Admin
The food security is ensured in India by the Government by carefully designed food security system. This system is composed of two components:
(a) Maintaining a Buffer Stock of food grains,
(b) Through the distribution of these food grains among the poorer sections of the society with the help of a Public Distribution System (PDS).
In addition to the above, the Government has launched several Poverty Alleviation Programmes (PAP) that comprise a component of food security. Some of these programmes are - Mid-Day Meals, Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), and Food-For-Work (FFW) etc.
Two schemes launched by the government to provide food security to the poor are:
→Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY): This scheme was launched in December 2000. Under this scheme one crore of the poorer among the BPL families, covered by the Public Distribution System (PDS) were identified. Twenty-five kilograms of food grains were made available to each of the eligible family at a highly subsidized rate. After about two years, the quantity was enhanced from 25 kg to 35 kg. In June 2003, and August 2004, additional 50 lakh families were added to this scheme twice. In this way about 2 crore families have been brought under the AAY.
→ Food for Work (FFW): This programme was launched in November 2004 in 150 most backward districts of the country. The main objective of this scheme is to intensify the generation of supplementary wage employment. This scheme is open to all rural poor who are willing to do unskilled labour. In return of the work, the workers are supplied foodgrains or money as they like.
By: Admin
Minimum Support Price (MSP) - This is the pre-announced price at which the government purchases foodgrains particularly, wheat and rice from the farmer in order to crate a buffer stock. This price is announced by the government every year before the sowing season to give incentive to the farmers to raise the production of the desired crop. The rising MSPs have raised the maintenance cost of procuring food grains by the government as well as induced farmers to divert land from production of coarse grains to the production of these crops.
By: Admin
Buffer Stock - It is the stock of food grains particularly, wheat and rice which the government procures through the Food Corporation of India (FCI). The FCI purchases these cereals directly from the farmers of those states where they are in surplus. The price of these commodities is much before the actual sowing season of these crops. The food grains thus purchased by the FCI are kept in big granaries and are called Buffer Stock. Maintaining buffer stock is a step taken by the government in order to ensure food security in the country.
By: Admin
Issue Price - In order to help the poor strata of the society, the government provides them food grains from the buffer stock at a price much lower than the market price. This subsidized price is known as the Issue Price.
By: Admin
Fair Price Shops - The foodgrains procured by the government through FCI is distributed to the poor section of the society through ration shops. The Ration Shops are called Fair Price Shops because food grains are supplied to the poor through these shops at much reasonable and a fair price than the market price which is often high. Any family with a ration card can purchase stipulated amount of food grains, sugar, kerosene etc. every month from the nearby fair price shop.
By: Admin
There are various problem of the functioning of ration shops such as ;
→ Ration cards are issued only to those people who have their proper residential addresses. Hence a large number of homeless poor fail to get ration from these shops.
→ The owners of these shops sell ration in the open market at higher prices.
→ Sometimes shopkeepers make bogus entries in the ration cards.
By: Admin
The cooperatives are playing an important role in food security in India, especially in the southern and western parts of the country. The cooperative societies set up shops to sell goods to the poor people at lower prices. For example, out of all fair price shops operating in Tamil Nadu, nearly 94 percent are being run by the cooperatives. In Delhi, Mother Dairy is providing milk and vegetables to the consumers at controlled prices which are decided by the Delhi Government. Amul is another example in this regard. It has brought about the White Revolution in the country. There are many more cooperatives and NGOs also working intensively towards this direction.
By: Admin
1. Who released a special stamp entitled ‘Wheat Revolution’ in July 1968?
(A) Availability of food
(B) Accessibility of food
(C) Availability and accessibility of food to all at all times.
(D) Availability, accessibility and affordability of food to all at all the times.
10. Which among the following schemes was initiated for the poor in all areas S?
(A) TTPDS
(B) RPDS
(C) AAY
(D) All of these.
11. Buffer stock is the stock of foodgrains procured by the government through:
(A) IFCI
(B) FCI
(C) IDBI
(D) FICCI
12. Farmers are paid a pre-announced price by the government for their crops. It is called:
For 2004-2005, Rs 2020 crore have been allocated for the program in addition to 20 Lakhs tones of food grains.
By: Admin
FCI means Food Corporation of India. It is the official agency to purchase food grains from the peasants.
By: Admin
1. PDS deals sells the grains to open market to get better margin,
2. Selling poor quality grains at ration shops.
3. It is common to find the ration shops regularly have unsold stocks of poor quality grains left
By: Admin
1. There are some states which are economically backward states with high incidence of poverty.
2. These are the tribal and remote areas and regions more prone to natural disasters, etc.
3. In fact the states of UP, Bihar, Jharkhand , Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra account for the largest number of food insecure people in the country
By: Admin
1. ADS have facilitated a network of NGOs for setting up grains banks in different regions.
2. ADS organize training and capacity building programs on food security for NGOs.
3. Grain banks are now slowly taking shape in different parts of Maharashtra.
4. ADS efforts to set up Grain Banks; to facilitate replication through other NGOs and to influence the Government polices on food security are thus paying rich dividends.
By: Admin
1. Availability: Availability of food means production within the country, food imports and previous year’s stock stored in the government granaries.
2. Affordability of Food: Affordability implies that an individual has enough money to buy sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet one’s dietary need.
3. Accessibility of food: Accessibility means food is within reach of every person.
By: Admin
1. The most devastating famine that occurred in India was the famine of Bengal in 1943.
2. This famine killed 30 lakhs people in the province of Bengal.
3. Nothing like Bengal Famine has happened in India again.
4. During famine families have to leave their villages.
5. The agricultural labourers, fishermen, transport workers and other casual labourers were affected the most by dramatically increasing in price of rice. They were the ones who died in this famine.
By: Admin
1. The food insecure people are disproportionately large in some regions of the country, such as economically backward states with high incidence of poverty, tribal and remote areas, regions more prone to natural disasters and food insecurity.
2. In fact, the states of Uttar Pradesh (Eastern and south-eastern parts), Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, parts of Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra account for largest number of food insecure people in the country.
By: Admin
1. Cooperatives are playing very important role in food security in India especially in the southern and western parts of the country.
2. The cooperatives societies set up shops to sell low priced goods to poor people.
3. For example, out of all fair price shops running in Tamil Nadu, around 94 per cent are being run by cooperatives.
4. Amul is another success story of cooperatives in milk and milk products from Gujarat. It has brought about the White Revolution in the country.
5. Sugar Cooperative mills are also running successfully in the Southern part of India
By: Admin
1. India has become self-sufficient in food grain production during the last thirty years A. This is because of a variety of crops grown all over the country.
2. The availability of food grains even in adverse weather conditions or otherwise, has further been ensured with a carefully designed food security system by the government.
3. Green Revolution makes self-sufficient.
4. This system of Buffer stock and public distribution system proves very helpful in ensuring self-sufficiency in food security.
5. The government has also initiated other food intervention programmes like Integrated Child Development Services, Food for Work Program, Rural Wage Employment Programs
By: Admin
Subsidy is a payment that a government makes to a producer to supply the market price of a commodity. Subsidies can keep consumer price low while maintaining a higher income of the producers.
By: Admin
ADS stand for Academy of Development science which facilitates a network of NGOs for setting up grain banks in different regions.
By: Admin
Integrated Child Development Services
By: Admin
1. Public Distribution system for food grains (in existence earlier but strengthened thereafter) is major step taken by the Government of India towards ensuring food security.
2. Integrated Child Development Services introduced in 1975 on an experimental program.
3. National Food for Work Program was introduced in 1977-78. This program was launched on November 14, 2004 in 150 districts of the country with the objective if intensifying the generation of supplementary wage employment
By: Admin
1. The Act provides for food and nutritional security life at affordable prices and enables people to live a life with dignity.
2. Under this act 75% of rural population and 50% of urban population have been categorized as eligible households for food security.
By: Admin
1. AAY is Antyodaya Ann Yojana. It was launched in December 2000.
2. Under the scheme one crore of the poorest among the BPL families covered under the targeted public distribution system were identified.
3. Poor families were identified by the respective state rural development departments through a below poverty line survey.
4. 25 kilograms of food grains were made available to each eligible family at a highly subsidies rate of Rs 2 per kilogram for wheat and Rs 3 per kilogram for rice.
By: Admin
1. In order to help the poor strata of the society, the government provides food grains from the Buffer Stock at a price much lower than the market Price.
2. This subsidies price is known as the Issue Price.
3. It is very helpful to provide food to people during critical situations such as calamity.
By: Admin
1. The food procured by the FCI is distributed through government regulated ration shops among the poorer section the society. This is called the Public Distribution system.
2. Ration shops are present in most localities, villages, towns and cities. There are about 5.5 lakhs ration shops all over the country.
3. These ration shops are known as Fair Price Shops. These shops keep stock of food grains, sugar, and kerosene oil for cooking.
By: Admin
1. PDS deals are found restoring to malpractices like selling the grains to the open market to get the better margins.
2. Sometimes they sell poor quality grains at ration shops.
3. They open their shops irregularly without considering the problems poor people.
4. Ration shops regularly have unsold stocks of poor quality grains left.
5. When ration shops are unable to sell, a massive stock of food grain piles up the Food Corporation of India.
6. FCI go-downs are over flowing with grains, with some rotting away and some being eaten by rats and insects.
7. There is a very little difference between the prices of goods sold at the ration shops and at the shops of market.
By: Admin
1. The Public distribution system has faced severe criticism on several grounds. A. Instances of Hunger are prevalent despite overflowing granaries.
2. FCI go-downs are over flowing with grains, with some rotting away and some being eaten by rats and insects.
3. There is a general consensus that high level of buffer stocks of food grains is very undesirable and can be wasteful.
4. The storage of massive food stocks has been responsible for high carrying costs.
5. Corruption by FCI officials.
6. Black Marketing by PDS dealers
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