What is the issue?
- The UN’s State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report points to a worrying trend on food security at global level.
What are the highlights?
- Absolute numbers of people facing hunger and poor nutrition have always been high.
- However, there was a reduction in the rate of undernourishment since the year 2000.
- But that has slowed from 2013, registering a worrying increase in 2016.
- Around 815 million people endure chronic food deprivation in 2016, as against 775 million in 2014.
- The deprivation is greater among people in conflict-affected and climate change events affected regions.
- Contrastingly, the report says that child undernutrition rates continue to drop.
- However, one in four children is still affected by stunting.
What are the causes?
- The above numbers are averages and do not reflect the disparities among regions, within countries and between States.
- Nevertheless, the common factors making food scarce and expensive for many are:
- the impact of the economic downturn
- many violent conflicts
- fall in commodity export revenues
- failure of agriculture owing to drought and floods
- The findings represent a setback to all countries trying to meet the Sustainable Development Goal
- on ending hunger
- achieving food security
- improved nutrition
What is the case with India?
- India’s efforts at improving access to food and good nutrition are led by the National Food Security Act.
- There are special nutritional schemes for women and children operated through the States.
- Despite these, 14.5% of the population suffers from undernourishment.
- At the national level, 53% of women are anaemic.
- Thus, Centre and State governments fall short on the commitment to end undernourishment.
- Institutions such as the State Food Commissions have not made a big difference either.
- Distributing nutritious food as a public health measure is still not a political imperative.
What is the way forward?
- Families below the poverty line consume more cereals and less milk compared to the affluent.
- NITI Aayog's report on the role played by rations in shaping household and nutritional security highlights this.
- Complementing rice and wheat with more nutritious food items should be the goal.
- The report on nutritional deficiency calls for evaluating the role played by the Public Distribution System.
- Assessing dietary diversity for those relying on subsidised food is crucial.
Source: The Hindu
