Food Security and Its Challenges

Food security is key in uncertain times. Rising climate-related risks, geopolitical tensions, and macroeconomic shocks are making imports more expensive than ever, both physical and intangible. With a growing world population, it is estimated that by 2050, he will need to increase global food production by 60% to feed more than 9.5 billion people. This is very important from an exam perspective and it has a high probability of coming in exams like UPSC, State PSC, Banking, SSC, and others.

What do you understand by Food Security?

• Food security is defined as a concept that takes into account both physical and economic access to food while taking into account people’s dietary needs and preferences.
  
• Food security is defined as “ensuring that all people have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food for a healthy and active life at all times”.
  
• Food security is based on four pillars: Food availability, Food accessibility, Food usage, Food stability
  
• A key issue in achieving self-sufficiency in emerging economies is food stability and availability.

Food security challenges:

• Climate-related risks: Prolonged heat waves and increased frequency of extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and hurricanes also lead to increased costs associated with quantum damage. 
  
• Waste and loss: 5-7% of India’s cereal production is wasted due to process inefficiencies. This number is higher for fresh food, with losses estimated at around 11%.
  
• Inadequate storage facilities: Improper storage of grain is often stored outdoors under tarpaulins with little protection from moisture and pests. India’s hot and humid conditions also increase the cost of maintaining refrigerated storage.
  
• Lack of consciousness: Lack of education and training in new technologies, techniques, and agricultural products. Traditional farming methods take a little longer, delaying the production of food grains and other items.
  
• Poor soil health: A key component of food production is healthy soil, as nearly 95% of the world’s food production depends on it.

Reforms to ensure food security:

• Water-saving irrigation: The practice of flood irrigation is still widespread today, amplifying the drawdown of groundwater tables and exacerbating drought conditions. A shift to small-scale irrigation optimizes farmers’ water and electricity costs in the long term and frees up financial resources for investment in post-harvest technology. 
  
• Storage infrastructure: Refrigeration infrastructure and supply chains are one example of a fundamental intervention that can drive the food processing industry forward while improving crop diversification, as it allows farmers to extend the shelf life of fresh produce. 
  
• Expansion of inflow of finance: The structure of global financial commitments and financial flows is changing to allow for increased financial flows to the global South. At the national level, medium- and long-term debt for viable post-harvest management infrastructure projects and investments in common agricultural assets such as the new Agricultural Infrastructure Fund (AIF) will accelerate the transition in this direction.  Funding opportunities need to be developed. 
  
• Crop diversification: Food security is a prerequisite for food security. India is more or less self-sufficient in cereals but lacks legumes and oilseeds. Changes in consumption patterns are increasing demand for fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, poultry, and seafood. Crop diversification should be promoted and related activities improved to produce the crops and products that are in short supply.
  
• Fight climate change: India’s food security can be achieved by paying more attention to issues such as climate change and limiting global warming. This includes promoting climate-friendly agricultural production systems and land-use policies to the extent that they contribute to adaptation and mitigation of the adverse effects of climate change. 

India’s Food Security Program:

• Mega Food Park: Launched by the Government in 2008, the program provides financial support of up to Rs.50 crore to set up modern food processing infrastructure facilities called Mega Food Parks.
  
• PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana: This is a comprehensive package aimed at creating a modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gates to retail outlets.  The program will also help boost the growth of the domestic food processing sector and provide farmers with better yields.
  
• Agricultural Infrastructure Fund: This is a central sector scheme approved by the Federal Cabinet in 2020.
  It aims to provide medium- to long-term debt financing facilities for viable post-harvest management infrastructure projects and investments in common agricultural assets. The program will run from 2020 to 2032.
  
• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana: PMKSY is a Central Sponsor Program (Core Program) launched in 2015. Its goals are:
  Convergence of irrigation investment at the field level,
  Expansion of cultivated land under safe irrigation (Har Khet ko Pani),
  To improve water efficiency and reduce water waste on farms,
  Improve the adoption of precision irrigation and other water-saving technologies.

Way Ahead:

• As such, by expanding access to finance to deploy climate-resilient technologies, we will ensure that power, water, and storage facilities (especially in rural areas) can be minimized post-harvest losses.
  
• We need to open doors for private sector innovation that can share the burden of improving agricultural resilience and complement public sector action.
  
• It is time to recognize the role of modern solutions in overcoming food insecurity, improving access to food, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the food sector.