A food-sufficient India needs to be hunger-free too
Context:
Due to the various reasons like the ongoing global conflicts, climate change and the economic slowdown, the goal to end hunger and food security by 2030 as a part of the SDG goals seems far out of reach.
Relevance:
GS-03 (Growth and Development)
Dimensions of the Article
- Food Insecurity and Malnutrition: A Global Challenge
- Economic Access and Unaffordability of Healthy Diets
- Unhealthy Diets in India: The Hidden Crisis
- Global Hunger Index and India’s Performance
Food Insecurity and Malnutrition: A Global Challenge
- The major global contributor of the food insecurity and malnutrition is the lack of access to and the affordability of healthy diets. Although a country is food sufficient, it will still be facing malnutrition if the available food does not meet the dietary needs of its population.
- According to recent global hunger assessments, the percentage of undernourished individuals is rising especially in Africa and Asia. About 757 million people (9.4% of the global population) in 2023—were undernourished.
- Africa has 20.4% of people facing hunger.
- 8.1% in Asia.
- 6.2% in Latin America.
- 7.3% in Oceania.
- Food may be available in abundance, but the affordability and nutritional quality remains a concern. For example, rural populations and the few urban areas like Slums and semi-urban areas are disproportionately affected due to limited economic opportunities, inadequate infrastructure, and poor access to markets.
- Gender Disparity is another aspect of food insecurity. Most often, women face higher levels of hunger and malnutrition than men. Women tend to eat last and least in many cultures, particularly in poorer households, making them more vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies.
Economic Access and Unaffordability of Healthy Diets
- Rising costs of healthy diets have reduced the ability of purchasing quality food. Recent data highlights that the global average cost of a healthy diet was $3.96 per person per day, measured in purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars. made them unaffordable for billions, particularly in low-income countries.
- Purchasing power plays a significant role in food access. Despite the decrease in global numbers of people unable to afford a healthy diet, many still lack adequate nutrition.
- In India, despite efforts like “Thalinomics” to ensure affordable meals, food security and access to healthy diets remain unequal across regions.
- Thalinomics,” – refers to the economics of a simple Indian meal or “thali,” attempts to measure the affordability of food in India
- According to recent studies, in 2011, 63.3% of the rural population could not afford a required diet even if they spent 100% of their income on food. This means that more than half a billion people in rural India are not getting the nutrition they need.
Unhealthy Diets in India: The Hidden Crisis
- Indian diets, especially among the wealthy, are often unhealthy, with a lack of protein-rich foods and an over-reliance on processed foods. Studies show that even the richest 5% of Indian households consume far less protein-rich food than they should.
- The affordability issue is not the only factor; lack of awareness, availability, and acceptability of healthy foods are major concerns.
- Even the richest in India consume less balanced diets, indicating that the challenge lies in promoting nutrition education and better access
- The EAT-Lancet Reference Diet The EAT-Lancet Commission, a scientific review of what constitutes a healthy diet, suggests that a diet rich in plant-based foods, moderate in animal-sourced foods, and low in processed foods is ideal for both human health and the environment.
- However, the cost of following such a diet in India is prohibitively high, especially for low-income households.
- In South Asia, the reference diet could cost as much as 60% of the average daily household income, making it unaffordable for a large segment of the population.
Global Hunger Index and India’s Performance
- The Global Hunger Index (GHI), which measures hunger based on child mortality, undernutrition, and stunting, has faced criticism for not focusing solely on hunger but rather on broader indicators of malnutrition. However, regardless of the criticisms, India’s low ranking reflects a serious issue with both food security and nutrition.
- According to recent data, only 3.2% of the Indian population does not get the minimum of 60 meals per month, equivalent to two meals a day. This suggests that while hunger in its most basic form (lack of food) may not be as widespread, the issue of malnutrition and poor-quality diets is still prevalent.
- A significant portion of the population, especially in rural areas, still lacks access to balanced meals. The government’s food security programs, like the Public Distribution System (PDS), focus primarily on providing basic staples like rice and wheat, but these alone cannot meet the nutritional needs of the population.
Way Forward
- Improve Access to Healthy Diets: Address both affordability and availability by regulating food prices, promoting local food production, and enhancing distribution systems.
- Strengthen Nutrition Education: Increase awareness of the importance of balanced diets, especially among the wealthier population, to reduce the reliance on processed foods.
- Enhance Food Security Programs: Build on existing social schemes to make sure vulnerable populations have consistent access to nutritious food, and integrate food banks and anti-waste campaigns to ensure no one goes hungry.
