World Food Day is celebrated every year on 16th
October, the foundation day of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations. The World Food Day theme for 2013 is
"Sustainable Food Systems for Food Security and Nutrition”. Some of the
themes adopted during previous years emphasize the policy framework for better
global food security. To name a few, theme for 2008 was
‘World food security: the challenges of climate change and bioenergy
’; in 2009: ‘Achieving food security in times
of crisis’; in 2011: Food prices - from crisis to
stability; and ‘Agricultural cooperatives – key to feeding the world’, in 2012.
Food security refers to the availability of food and one's access
to it. A household is considered food-secure when its occupants do not live in
hunger or fear of starvation. The World Health Organization defines three
facets of food security: food availability, food access, and food use. Food
availability is having sufficient quantities of food on a consistent basis.
Food access is having sufficient resources, both economic and physical to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious
diet. Food use is the appropriate use of food resources based on knowledge of
basic nutrition and care. The FAO adds a fourth facet: the stability of the
first three dimensions of food security over time. In fact, food security is
the prerequisite for the economic and social stability of any nation.
Sustainable food security requires a stable supply of food with robust
agricultural growth and properly functioning agricultural markets.
India faces a unique development paradox of being in the front
ranks of fast growing global economies, with about 25
percent of the world's hungry poor. Although the country grows enough food for
its people, pockets of hunger remain. According to some figures, around 40 per cent of children under the age of five years are
malnourished and nearly half of all pregnant women aged between 15
and 49 years suffer from anemia. Nutrition is crucial for
fulfillment of basic
human rights and forms the foundation for meaningful human existence with
decreased susceptibility to infection, related morbidity, disability and
mortality, better learning capacities and adult productivity.
Agricultural growth is crucial for our economic development and Food
security. The experience from BRICS countries indicates that a one percentage
growth in agriculture is at least two to three times more effective in reducing
poverty than the same growth emanating from non-agriculture sectors. Over the
years due to concerted efforts of our governments, our country has emerged as a
leading producer of some cereals and animal products. Government of India has
also launched several schemes to further increase the growth in agriculture and
boost farm production to establish sustained food systems in the country. These
include schemes such as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), National Food
Security Mission (NFSM), Development and Strengthening of Infrastructure
facilities for Production and Distribution of Quality Seed, National
Horticulture Mission (NHM), Rainfed Area Development Programme (RADP),
Integrated Scheme of Oilseeds, Pulses, Oil Palm and Maize (ISOPOM), Gramin
Bhandaran Yojana etc. In addition, Government has substantially improved the
availability of farm credit; implemented debt waiver; introduced better crop
insurance schemes; increased Minimum Support Price (MSP), improved marketing
infrastructure, etc.
Although India had long back achieved self-sufficiency in food, the
Government of India launched the National Food Security Mission in 2007. The mission was expected to increase the production of
rice by 10 million tonnes, wheat by 8
million tonnes and pulses by 2 million tonnes in five
years by the end of 11th Five Year Plan (2011-2012).
The primary reason for this optimism was that there exists a substantial
gap between the current average yields and the potential yields which can be
bridged with the help of available technologies.
Further in order to provide food and nutritional security to the
people by ensuring availability of food at affordable prices, Government has
enacted National Food Security Act, recently. The National Food Security Act is
a historic initiative for ensuring food and nutritional security to the people.
It gives right to the people to receive adequate quantity of food grains at
affordable prices.
Salient features of the act are:
1.
Upto 75% of the
rural population and upto 50% of the urban population will
have uniform entitlement of 5 kg food grains per month at
highly subsidized prices of Rs. 3, Rs. 2,
Rs. 1 per kg. for rice, wheat, coarse grains respectively.
It will entitle about 81 crore people while under the
existing Targeted Public Distribution System only 2.5
crore Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families or about 32.5
crore persons (assuming 5 as the average household size)
are getting food grains at these prices. Thus, population getting food grains
at these highly subsidized prices as their legal right will increase to 67% from existing 27%.
2.
The poorest of poor households would
continue to receive 35 kg food grains per household per
month under Antyodaya Anna Yojana at subsidized prices of Rs 3,
Rs 2 and Re 1.
3.
Pregnant women and lactating
mothers, besides being entitled to nutritious meals as per the prescribed
nutritional norms will also receive maternity benefit at least of Rs. 6000/-. Children in the age group of 6
months to 14 years will be entitled to take home ration or
hot cooked food as per prescribed nutritional norms.
4.
The Central Government will provide
funds to States/UTs in case of short supply of food grains from Central pool.
In case of non-supply of food grains or meals to entitled persons, the
concerned State/UT Governments will be required to provide such food security
allowance as may be prescribed by the Central Government to the beneficiaries.
5.
Central Government will provide
assistance to the States towards cost of intra-State transportation, handling
of food grains and FPS dealers’ margin. This will ensure timely transportation
and efficient handling of food grains.
6.
Reforms have been initiated for
doorstep delivery of food grains, application of information and communication
technology (ICT) including end to end computerization, diversification of
commodities under TPDS etc for effective implementation of the Food Security
Act.
Women Empowerment—
Eldest woman of 18 years of age or above will
be head of the household for issue of ration card, and if not available, the
eldest male member is to be the head of the household.
Grievance redressal mechanism-
There will be state and district level redressal mechanism with
designated nodal officers. The States
will be allowed to use the existing machinery for District Grievance Redressal
Officer (DGRO), State Food Commission, if they so desire, to save expenditure
on establishment of new redressal set up. Redressal mechanism may also include
call centers, helpline etc.
On the issue of redressing grievances that may arise in
implementation of such a massive social justice programme, it has been planned
to give an increased role for Panchayati Raj institutions and women’s self help
group in programme-monitoring and social auditing.
With this mega scheme of
strengthening the food security of the poor, destitute billions, with an
estimated annual food grains requirement of 612.3 lakh
tonnes and corresponding estimated food subsidy of about Rs.1,24,724 crore,
during this fiscal, a new beginning is being made towards welfare of citizens.
A Food secure nation can only be economically and socially stabile.
(PIB Features.)
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