How is Food Security Ensured in India ?

Food security means making sure that food is available, accessible, and affordable to all people at all times. When there is a difficulty with food crop production or distribution, economically disadvantaged households are more vulnerable to food insecurity. Food security is dependent on the Public Distribution System (PDS), as well as government attention and action when such security is threatened.

What is food security?

Food is as necessary for survival as oxygen is for breathing. But food security involves more than just eating two square meals a day. The dimensions of food security are as follows:
(a) Food availability refers to domestic food production, food imports, and the previous year’s stock stored in government granaries.
(b) accessibility implies that food is within everyone’s reach.
(c) Affordability indicates that a person has enough money to buy enough safe and nutritious food to suit his or her dietary demands.
Thus, a country’s food security is ensured only if. 

(1) enough food is available for all people, 

(2) all people have the ability to buy food of acceptable quality, and 

(3) there are no barriers to food access.

Food Security in India

Since the beginning of the Green Revolution in the early 1970s, the country has avoided famine even in the face of severe weather. Because of the range of crops grown throughout the country, India has become self-sufficient in foodgrains during the previous thirty years. 

The government has also assured the availability of foodgrains (whether in poor weather circumstances or otherwise) at the national level through a carefully constructed food security system. This system is made up of two parts: 

(a) a buffer stock and (b) a public distribution system.

What is Buffer stock?

Buffer Stock is a supply of foodgrains acquired by the government through the Food Corporation of India (FCI). The FCI buys wheat and rice from farmers in places where there is an oversupply. Farmers are paid a predetermined price for their crops. This is known as the Minimum Support Price. 

The MSP is declared by the government each year before the sowing season to offer farmers incentives to increase crop production. Food grains purchased are stored in grain storage facilities.  This is done in order to distribute food grains in deficient areas and among the weaker strata of society at a lower-than-market price, also known as the Issue Price.

What is the Public Distribution System?

Food bought by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) is supplied to the lower sections of society through government-regulated ration stores. The Public Distribution System (PDS) is the term for this. This is the most significant action made by the Indian government to ensure food security. PDS policy has been altered over the years to make it more efficient and focused.

Over the years, the PDS has proven to be the most effective instrument of government policy in stabilising prices and making food available to consumers at reasonable prices. It has helped to prevent widespread hunger and famine by supplying food from surplus sections of the country to deficit ones.

There are around 5.5 lakh ration shops spread across the country. Ration shops, also known as Fair Price Shops, stock foodgrains, sugar, and cooking oil. People are sold these things at a lesser price than the market price.

FAQ’s on Food Security –

1. What is food security?

Food security means ensuring that everyone has access to safe and nutritious food at all times.

2. What is buffer stock?

Buffer stock is a supply of foodgrains acquired by the government through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to distribute foodgrains in deficient areas and among weaker sections of society at a lower-than-market price.

3. What is the Public Distribution System (PDS)?

The Public Distribution System (PDS) is a government-regulated ration store system that supplies food bought by the FCI to the lower sections of society at reasonable prices.

4. Why is the PDS important for food security in India?

The PDS is the most significant action taken by the Indian government to ensure food security, as it has helped prevent widespread hunger and famine by supplying food from surplus sections of the country to deficit ones.