Food Security, Meaning, Dimensions, Methods

Assuring food security means making sure that food is always available, accessible to get to, and affordable for everyone. Extreme poverty makes poor families more likely to be food insecure when there are problems with growing or distributing food crops.

Dimensions of Food Security

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Methods to Measure Food Security

• Conducting surveys on household income and expenditure
• Assessing an individual's dietary consumption
• Measuring an individual's height, weight, and body composition
• Gathering accounts of personal experiences related to food security.

Food Security in India

• The country has steered clear of famine since the initiation of the Green Revolution in the early 1970s.
• Over the past three decades, India has achieved self-sufficiency in foodgrains, attributed to the cultivation of diverse crops nationwide.
• The government has implemented a well-structured food security system to guarantee the availability of foodgrains at the national level, even in challenging weather conditions.
• This food security system comprises two essential components: (a) a buffer stock, and (b) a public distribution system.

What is Buffer Stock?

• The FCI procures wheat and rice from farmers in states with surplus production, offering them a predetermined price known as the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
• The government declares the MSP annually before the sowing season to encourage farmers to increase the production of wheat and rice.
• The procured food grains are stored in granaries as part of the buffer stock to ensure a stable supply in times of need.

What is the Public Distribution System?

• Ration shops, also known as Fair Price Shops, are widespread in localities, villages, towns, and cities, numbering approximately 5.5 lakh across the country.
• These shops maintain supplies of essential items such as foodgrains, sugar, and cooking kerosene, which are sold to the public at prices below the market rates.
• Families possessing a ration card have the privilege of purchasing a specified quantity of these items (e.g 35 kg of grains, 5 liters of kerosene, 5 kgs of sugar, etc.) each month from their nearby ration shop.

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Important Features of PDS

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Role of Cooperatives in Food Security in India

• Cooperatives play a crucial role in ensuring food security, particularly in the southern and western regions of India.
• Cooperative societies establish shops to provide affordable goods to impoverished individuals, contributing significantly to food security.
• In Tamil Nadu, approximately 94% of fair price shops are operated by cooperatives, exemplifying their substantial presence in the distribution of essential commodities.
• Mother Dairy in Delhi has made notable progress by supplying milk and vegetables to consumers at government-regulated rates.
• Amul, a success story from Gujarat, has played a pivotal role in the dairy industry, leading the White Revolution in India.
• These instances highlight the diverse impact of cooperatives across the country, addressing the food security needs of various societal segments.
• In Maharashtra, the Academy of Development Science (ADS) has facilitated the establishment of grain banks through a network of NGOs in different regions, further contributing to food security efforts.