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BPSC Mains GS-2 Masterclass · Indian & Bihar Economy

Food SecurityDiversification & Organic Farming

India has overflowing granaries yet the world's largest number of undernourished people, and Bihar has India's worst child stunting. This page explains what food security means and why India needs it, the challenges and schemes, and how diversified and organic farming can make food security sustainable.

Hunger~195 mnUndernourished

the largest number of any country.

GHI94 / 107Global Hunger Index

India's rank in 2020, 'serious' category.

Bihar48.3%Stunting in Bihar

of children under five: the worst state.

Protein48 vs 75 gPulses per day

availability vs recommended intake.

Law75% / 50%NFSA coverage

of rural / urban population.

Organic12Bihar districts

under the Bihar State Organic Mission.

Part 1 · Defining food security

What Food Security Means

Enough food is not the same as food security: people must be able to get it, afford it and use it well.

A family meal of rice, dal, vegetables and milk in a Bihar home, with a ration card on the shelf

The definitions

The World Health Organization has defined food security as "when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life." (2012 answer)

Food security, as defined by the United Nations' Committee on World 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. (2019 answer)

India's position

As per the Economic Survey (2018-19), India needs to take big initiatives to improve its food security as it faces supply constraints, water scarcity, small landholdings, ever-rising population, low per capita GDP and inadequate irrigation.

Also due to ever-rising population and prevailing inequality, although the nation has the surplus food-grain stock, yet the same has not been translated into household food and nutritional security. (2012 answer)

Although India is a food surplus country, the global food security index 2020 (by Economist Intelligence Unit) ranked India at 71st position globally. It takes affordability, availability, quality and safety and natural resource and resilience into account while deciding the rank of country. (2012 answer)

Food security is the combination of three elements

Food availability

Food must be available in sufficient quantities and on a consistent basis. It considers stock and production in a given area and the capacity to bring in food from elsewhere, through trade or aid.

Food access

People must be able to regularly acquire adequate quantities of food, through purchase, home production, barter, gifts, borrowing or food aid.

Food utilization

Consumed food must have a positive nutritional impact on people. It entails cooking, storage and hygiene practices, individuals' health, water and sanitation, feeding and sharing practices within the household.

Linked to everything else

Food security is closely related to household resources, disposable income and socioeconomic status. It is also strongly interlinked with other issues, such as food prices, global environment change, water, energy and agriculture growth.

Example: Availability: the FCI godown is full. Access: a landless labourer can afford rice and dal, or has a ration card. Utilisation: her child, drinking clean water and free of diarrhoea, actually absorbs the nutrients. A gap in any one of the three means food insecurity.

Part 2 · The need for food security in India

Why India Needs Food Security

Hunger, stunting, anaemia, low yields, unaffordable diets and a constitutional duty, and Bihar's even harder numbers.

38.4%Children stuntedunder five, NFHS-4 (2015-16)

35.8%Children underweightunder five, NFHS-4

53%Anaemic womenaged 15–49, NFHS-4

48.3%Stunting in Bihar10% above the national average

The need of food security in India

India currently has the largest number of undernourished people in the world i.e. around 195 million.
Nearly 47 million or 4 out of 10 children in India do not meet their full human potential because of chronic undernutrition or stunting.
Agricultural productivity in India is extremely low.
- According to World Bank figures, cereal yield in India is estimated to be 2,992 kg per hectare as against 7,318.4 kg per hectare in North America.
Under the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020 (released by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WHO & WFP):
- Hundreds of millions of people in India above the international poverty line of $1.90 purchasing power parity (PPP) per person per day cannot afford a healthy or nutritious diet.
- This analysis confirms the fact that the problem of poor nutrition in India is largely on account of the unaffordability of good diets.
- The number of people who cannot afford a healthy diet have risen post pandemic.
India ranked 94 among 107 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020 and continues to be in the "serious" hunger category, though it has made some progress, particularly since the enactment of National Food Security Act.
- Last year, India's rank was 102 out of 117 countries.
According to the NFHS-4 (2015-16): 38.4% of children below five years were stunted and 35.8% were underweight; the prevalence of anemia among women aged 15 to 49 years is 53%.
It is estimated that 190 million people go hungry every day in India, comprising about 23% of the world's undernourished population. Under 2nd sustainable development goal (zero hunger) India is committed to eliminate hunger by 2030.
Food security is also needed to have healthy and productive workforce, to control food prices, to boost the agricultural sector etc.
It is also a state's duty under Art 47 of the constitution to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people.

Need of food security in Bihar

Bihar has the highest number of people not getting benefits under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) for want of ration cards.
- Among these 39 lakh people not receiving benefits as they do not have ration cards, Bihar accounts for 14 lakh.
Child undernutrition is significantly more severe in Bihar than in several other states in the country. Here, the prevalence of stunting in the children of the below five years group is 48.3%, making it the worst state in India. It is 10% higher than the national average. In districts like Sitamarhi and Nalanda, it is as high as 57.3% and 54.1%.
Example: A stunted child is too short for her age because of long-term undernutrition; the damage to growth and learning in the first 1,000 days is very hard to reverse later.

Cereal yield (kg/ha)

North America7,318.4
India2,992

Child stunting

Sitamarhi57.3%
Nalanda54.1%
Bihar48.3%
India38.4%

Part 3 · Challenges, initiatives and measures

Challenges to Food Security, and What Is Being Done

Climate change, remoteness, migration, poverty, a leaky PDS and weak nutrition programmes; and the government's schemes and suggested measures.

The challenges to food security in India

Climate Change: Higher temperatures and unreliable rainfall makes farming difficult. Climate change not only impacts crop but also livestock, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture, and can cause grave social and economic consequences in the form of reduced incomes, eroded livelihoods, trade disruption and adverse health impacts.
Lack of access to remote areas: For the tribal communities, habitation in remote difficult terrains and practice of subsistence farming has led to significant economic backwardness.
Increase in rural-to-urban migration, large proportion of informal workforce resulting in unplanned growth of slums which lack in the basic health and hygiene facilities, insufficient housing and increased food insecurity.
Overpopulation, poverty, lack of education and gender inequality.
Inadequate distribution of food through public distribution mechanisms (PDS i.e. Public Distribution System).
- Deserving beneficiaries of the subsidy are excluded on the basis of non-ownership of below poverty line (BPL) status, as the criterion for identifying a household as BPL is arbitrary and varies from state to state.
Biofuels: The growth of the biofuel market has reduced the land used for growing food crops.
Conflict: Food can be used as a weapon, with enemies cutting off food supplies in order to gain ground. Crops can also be destroyed during the conflict.
Unmonitored nutrition programmes: Although a number of programmes with improving nutrition as their main component are planned in the country but these are not properly implemented.
Lack of coherent food and nutrition policies along with the absence of intersectoral coordination between various ministries.
Corruption: Diverting the grains to open market to get better margin, selling poor quality grains at ration shops, irregular opening of the shops add to the issue of food insecurity.

Government initiatives

National Food Security Mission
- It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme launched in 2007.
- It aims to increase production of rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals and commercial crops, through area expansion and productivity enhancement.
- It works toward restoring soil fertility and productivity at the individual farm level and enhancing farm level economy.
- It further aims to augment the availability of vegetable oils and to reduce the import of edible oils.
The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, legally entitles up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population to receive subsidized food grains under the Targeted Public Distribution System.
- The eldest woman of the household of age 18 years or above is mandated to be the head of the household for the purpose of issuing of ration cards under the Act.
- Recently, due to Covid-19, the number of beneficiaries has been increased to 800 million people.
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana – Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR): Making farming a remunerative economic activity through strengthening the farmer's effort, risk mitigation and promoting agri-business entrepreneurship. Major focus is on pre & post-harvest infrastructure, besides promoting agri-entrepreneurship and innovations.
Operation Green.
Under Bonn challenge, India is committed to restore degraded land to 26 million hectares by 2030.
Various poverty elimination programs e.g. MGNREGA, Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana or DAY.
One nation and one ration card.
Example: A migrant worker from Darbhanga working in Surat can draw his NFSA ration from any ration shop in Surat using his Aadhaar-linked card.

Measures suggested

Bigger, cooperative farms

Improving the size of the farms, Cooperative farming.

Aeroponics & hydroponics

Systems that allow plants to be grown without soil. Plants grown in this way take in water and nutrients efficiently. These methods can be used in the areas of poor soil quality and soil erosion.

Water-saving crops

Adoption of crops and techniques with lower water requirements, such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) method of rice production, contributes to resilience by enabling equal or better yields to be achieved with less water withdrawal.

Crop diversification

Higher profitability and stability in production highlight the importance of crop diversification, e.g. legumes alternating with rice and wheat. Growing of non-cereal crops such as oilseeds, fruits and vegetables etc need to be encouraged.

A second Green Revolution

An earlier economic survey had pointed out that, "The need for a Second Green Revolution is being experienced more than ever before."

Better storage

Strategies for better food storage should be adopted.

Blue Revolution

Sea, lakes and rivers can be used to provide food and nutrition. Fish are a very good source of protein and do not require good soil.

Fortification

Food fortification to address the problem of micro-nutrients.

Community education

Local community education on key family health and nutrition practices using participatory and planned communication methodologies will be helpful.

Covid-19 and the conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic is threatening the long-cherished food security of India. It has impacted all four aspects, namely 'availability, access, stability, and utilization' of food. Though, the country had sufficient buffers of food grains: 58.4 million tons and pulses 3 million tons. However, it is not so for other commodities such as fruits and vegetables, eggs, meat, milk, and sugar that constitute 78 percent of the total food consumption. Thus, the availability of these food items has to be ensured.

The issue of food security has multi-faceted challenges and requires a holistic solution. India needs to adopt a policy that brings together diverse issues such as inequality, food diversity, indigenous rights and environmental justice to ensure sustainable food security. The NGOs, local institutions etc can also play an important role in this direction as they did during lockdown.

To conclude, the food security is not only a social or economic need of the country, it also has ethical dimensions. India is seen by many as emerging super-power; to further boost its international image it must ensure the food security to its citizens.

Part 4 · Agricultural diversification and food security

Why Diversified Farming Helps Food Security

Mono-cropping won self-sufficiency but at a cost to soil, water and nutrition. Diversification spreads risk, feeds the soil, raises incomes and creates jobs, especially in Bihar.

From the Green Revolution to diversification

Although mono-cropping, higher use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides promoted during green revolution has helped India achieve food grain self-sufficiency, its efficacy in long run is being questioned by many because of its adverse impact on the environment and aggravating regional disparities.
In recent years, there has been growing emphasis on agricultural diversification and organic farming as a way forward to solve the issue of food security in a sustainable manner.

What agricultural diversification means

Agricultural diversification basically refers to a shift of resources from low value crop mix to relatively high value crops and farm products. It is a wide-ranging process. In a general sense, diversification of agriculture may mean:

Diversification between agriculture and allied activities like animal husbandry, fishing, etc.; and/or
Diversification in cropping pattern:
- Diversification between food crops and non-food crops;
- Diversification between cereals and non-cereal food crops;
- Diversification between traditional crops and horticulture; and
- Diversification between low productivity or low value crops to high value crops.

Agricultural diversification is often suggested as a means of improved farm productivity and income.
Ensures optimum utilization and renewability of natural resources like soil, water etc.
- In order to meet out the food requirement of ever increasing population, the food grain production has to be increased without having adverse effect on the available natural resources.
Emphasis on wheat and rice has led to lack of availability of other food items. e.g. The availability of pulses, the source of protein to huge vegetarian mass of the country, is only 48 (in 2019) grams/day/capita against the recommended intake of 75 grams/day/capita, a deficit of 26 grams.
Promoting crop diversification and other practices such as multi cropping can help reduce impacts of intensive agricultural practices and encourage cultivation of climate suitable and less water intensive crops.
- Rice paddy fields act as a source of greenhouse gases such as methane (CH4) and nitrous oxides (N2O). Diverting from paddy to other crops can reduce such GHG emissions.
With improved living standards along with increased purchasing power, more and more people will seek nutritional and quality food like fruits, horticulture, dairy product etc. which call for greater crop diversification through horticultural produce, dairy and animal husbandry.
- There is need for diversification within food crops and between food crops and livestock, which helps nutritional security, particularly for small and marginal farmers. e.g. Millets are considered more nutritious than rice and wheat.

Part 5 · Organic farming and food security

Why Organic Farming Helps Food Security

Organic farming restores soil, suits small farmers, cuts emissions and contamination, and saves water; together with diversification it can make food security sustainable.

What organic farming is

Organic farming is a technique, which involves the cultivation of plants and rearing of animals in natural ways. This process involves the use of biological materials, avoiding synthetic substances to maintain soil fertility and ecological balance thereby minimizing pollution and wastage.

It has also been thought of as referring not to the type of inputs used, but to the concept of the farm as an organism, in which all the components – the soil minerals, organic matter, micro organisms, insects, plants, animals and humans – interact to create a coherent, self-regulating and stable whole.

Organic farming better for food security in India

The 'modern' agricultural practices based on high use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, wasteful use of water etc. have led to soil degradation. Organic farming can combat desertification and restore the soil fertility which is vital for food security in long run.
The concern for ensuring and enhancing agricultural output with due respect to ecological limits is significant in organic agriculture. The productivity of natural resources like soil and water in the region has direct impact on poverty and food security.
The emphasis on organic practices involving use of techniques such as Nitrogen fixing crops and green manures, recycling nutrients through composting, deep rooting plants, avoiding soil loss and locally developed pest control measures allows even small farmers to produce food and generate income for the families on sustainable basis without high initial investments in the irrigation, new seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Farmers who opt for organic production system would be free from buying expensive inputs.
- Because organic agriculture is a viable option for family farms and smallholders, it supports food sovereignty, and therefore food security.
- It is especially relevant in Bihar where the small and marginal landholdings (less than two hectares) account for nearly 97 percent of the landholdings.
Many parts of India are experiencing a decline in yields despite the increased use of chemical inputs. In contrast, organic agriculture has proven to be effective in increasing and stabilizing yields, particularly in marginal lands. This means it is a system that empowers farmers to uphold food security.
Organic agriculture can also reduce the green house gas related to agricultural activities e.g. lesser manufacturing of chemical fertilisers, lesser intensive irrigation etc.
- Agricultural activities contribute 10%–14% of global anthropogenic GHG emissions. Organic farming can reduce these emissions helping fight against climate change which poses a great threat to food security.
Healthier food: the Safety and quality of food item is another determinant of food security. Organic food grown in richer more organic soils has higher levels of micronutrients.
- High use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers has resulted in the contamination of food items. Organic farming can help deal with the contamination of food items.
Organic agriculture also helps to increase resistance to pests and diseases, which is crucial to building food security.
- NITI Aayog's Doubling the Farmer Income proposed the organic farming so as to minimise the consumption of pesticides.
Water availability and accessibility is another aspect of food security. In India, more than 80% of fresh water is used for agriculture sector. Organic farming not just helps keep our water supplies clean by stopping that polluted runoff but also helps conserve water. Organic farmers, in general, tend to spend time amending soil correctly and using mulch – both of which help conserve water.
- e.g. Cotton, an in-demand crop, requires a lot of irrigation and excess water when grown conventionally. However, organic cotton farming needs less irrigation and thus conserves water.
Encouraging organic farming which sells costly while cost on inputs is less → Better return for farmers + better nutrition for consumer + higher revenue and lesser subsidy burden for government ⇒ higher food security.
Agri Export Policy, 2018 talks about promoting the novel, indigenous, organic products to increase the marketability of the produce. It will result in higher remuneration for the farmers as well as higher revenue for government. Higher economic gain facilitates the investment in food security.
Both agriculture diversification and organic farming can also go hand in hand as by-product of one crop can be organic input for the another crop.
Example: Paddy straw fed to cattle returns as dung for a vermicompost pit; the compost then feeds the vegetable plot: diversification and organic farming in one cycle.

Government has already taken several steps in these directions

The State Government is promoting the use of organic farming and providing field demonstrations for the balanced use of chemical fertilisers.
The Bihar State Organic Mission is being implemented in 12 districts. The main objectives of the scheme is to promote organic farming in the state, protect the environment, soil and water resources from pollution and make farming sustainable.
Under the Adoption and Certification Programme of organic seeds, the farmers will be provided certification for adoption of organic seeds.
Under the Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali campaign, the State government has recently launched a new scheme of Jalvayu ke Anukul Krishi (Climate Resilient Agriculture) Karyakram.
Under the Agriculture Roadmap (2017-22), the state government promotes organic cultivation. Given the negative effects of using chemical pesticides in vegetable cultivation, the State Government is giving priority to promote organic farming in fruits.
Indian government is also promoting organic farming in country through Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) (under National Mission of Sustainable Agriculture): Promotes traditional methods like yogik farming, gou mata kheti, Vedic farming, Vaishnav kheti, Ahinsa farming, Adhvoot Shivanand farming, and rishi krishi.
National program for organic production to certify the organic farm produce by the third party.

But: proceed with caution

However, decision should not be taken in haste as converting to organic farming takes some time and expensive scrutiny and regulation to prove the farm is meeting organic standards. There can also be potential loss of crops as crop loss due to pest/disease cannot be dealt with by organic methods. It may pose threat to food security. In Sikkim, world's first 100% organic state, Organic farming is facing challenges like non-remunerative price realisations, losses due to pest and disease attacks and competition from cheap non-organic produce from neighbouring Siliguri.

Even in case of agricultural diversification, if there is a completely market-driven diversification without regard to national priorities there is likely to be threat to food security. For instance, shifting of area under food crops to commercial crops like 'jatropha' for bio-diesel may upset food security. Therefore, caution should be exercised in agricultural diversification. Further, small surpluses of various agricultural commodities create difficulties in efficient handling and marketing of the produce.

Going forward, Organic farming can be introduced in phased manner in different areas ensuring that overall production doesn't decline suddenly. And agriculture diversification should ensure that cropping pattern is not shifted to non-food items to an extent that can undermine food security.

“The food security is not only a social or economic need of the country, it also has ethical dimensions.”

— BPSC Mains answer, 2019

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