The Right to Food in India

The Food Security Scenario in South Asia

Country Food

Production Food Exports Food Imports Food Balance

Bangladesh 26,924 1.6 2,827 -4,601

India 1,74,655 9,490 56 23,826

Nepal 5,839 11 39 57

Pakistan 24,936 2,966 288 3,818

Sri Lanka 1,938 9.8 1,307 252

Source: FAO, 2004. Figures in thousand metric tones for 2002

3

Changes in Hunger Index  1996 2011   1996 2011

   

China 9.1 5.5 Uganda  20.4 16.7

Thailand  11.9 8.1 Zimbabwe  22.3 17.7

Vietnam  21.4 11.2 Malawi  27.1 18.2

Mongolia  17.7 11.4 Kenya  20.3 18.6

Indonesia  15.5 12.2 Nepal  24.6 19.9

SriLanka 17.8 14 Pakistan  22 20.7

Nigeria  21.2 15.5 Sudan  24.7 21.5

Myanmar  25.4 16.3 India  22.9 23.7

      Bangladesh  36.3 24.5

India’s Growth Story 1951-2012

5

2

4

6

8

10

195

1-5

2

195

7-5

8

196

3-6

4

196

9-7

0

197

5-7

6

198

1-8

2

198

7-8

8

199

3-9

4

199

9-0

0

200

5-0

6

2011-1

2

Population, GDP and Foodgrain Production

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2006

Population

GDP

FoodgrainProduction

Worrying issues• News of starvation deaths & farmers’ suicides from

many states• Stagnant agricultural production, and falling food

availability• Unemployment has increased from 4 to 8% in ten

years• Regional disparities are increasing • IMR stagnating around 60 per 1000, it is 46 in

Bangladesh• Immunisation coverage fell from 60 to 40% in 5 yrs• More than 50% women are anemic• 46% children are malnourished • Declining child sex ratio during 1991-2001 • There is no will to improve administration in poor

states

Per capita annual foodgrain production (kg)

150

160

170

180

190

200

210

2201990-91

1993-94

1996-97

1999-00

2002-03

2005-06

2008-09

2011-12

99

Per capita daily availability (grams)

400

425

450

475

5001974

1977

1980

1983

1986

1989

1992

1995

1998

2001

2004

2007

2010

Per Capita Cereal Consumption  for various deciles  (Rural India, 2004-2005; kg/month)

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

0-5

5-10

10-20

20-30

30-40

40-50

50-60

60-70

70-80

80-90

90-95

95-100

11

Buffer Stocks

11

Buffer norms & actual stocks

010203040506070801.10.2007

1.7.2008

1.4.2009

1.01.2010

1.10.2010

1.07.2011

1.04.2012

BUFFER NORMACTUAL STOCK

Foodgrain wholesale price index (1993-94=100)

150

200

250

300

350

400

4501999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

1414

Per capita Rural monthly consumption in kg (2002)

India Vietnam

Foodgrains 13 20.5

Dairy 3.9 0.2

Meat/poultry 1.5 3.4

Fruit/vegetables 9.5 5.8

eating out/sugar/oil 1.8 5.8

Total 29.7 35.7

1515

Per Capita Consumption during 2004-06 (kg/year)

  India  China  US  World

All cereals 175.1 287.9 953 316

Meat 5.3 56.8 126.6 40.2

Milk 84.5 22.7 Na 97.8

Eggs 1.8 21.6 15.2 9.7

There should be no food insecurity in India

Both GDP and foodgrain production have risen faster than the growth in population over the last 50 years

And yet chronic hunger and starvation persist in large

sections of the population. There has been a declining calorie consumption especially in the bottom 30% of the population.

India has the largest food schemes in the World

• Entitlement Feeding Programmes– ICDS (All Children under six, Pregnant and lactating mother)– MDMS (All Primary School children)

• Food Subsidy Programmes– Targeted Public Distribution System (35 kgs/ month of subsidised food grains – Annapurna (10 kgs of free food grain for destitute poor)

• Employment Programmes– National Rural Employment Scheme (100 days of employment at minimum

wages)

• Social Safety Net Programmes– National Old Age Pension Scheme (Monthly pension to BPL)– National Family Benefit Scheme (Compensation in case of death of bread winner

to BPL families)

Underlying causes of hunger in India

• Falling per capita crop, especially food production in the last 10 years.

• Increasing share of surplus states and large farmers in food production, resulting in artificial surplus that is exported, thus further reducing availability of foodgrains.

• Increasing inequality, with only marginal increase in the per capita expenditure of the bottom 30%. From their meager income the poor are forced to spend more on medical care, education, transport, fuel, and light, thus reducing the share of their expenditure on food.

Underlying causes (contd.)• Low access of the poor to expensive foods, such

as pulses, vegetables, oil, fruits, and meat products which provide essential proteins, fats, and micro-nutrients. This leads to under-development of human body and mind, affecting the ability of individuals to work productively, and resist disease

• Major food related programmes, such as PDS and ICDS are plagued by corruption, leakages, errors in selection, procedural delays, poor allocations and little accountability. They also tend to discriminate against and exclude those who need them most, such as urban poor migrants, street and slum residents, and dispersed hamlets.

20

Production, Procurement & Offtake of Foodgrains (in million Tonnes)

  1997-98 2002-03 2007-08 2011-12

Food Subsidy in billion Rupees

79 240 313 602

Production of foodgrains

192 175 231 253

Procurement of foodgrains

23.6 40.3 39.6 60.1

Distribution through FPS

17 20.1 33.5 51

Disposal though welfare schemes

2.1 11.4 3.9 4.1

21

Planning Commission’s evaluation TPDS (2003)

• 58 per cent of subsidized food grains does not reach the BPL families, 22% reaches APL and 36% sold in black

• High cost of handling, for one rupee transfer to the poor, the Gol spends Rs.3.65

• Targeting errors, ghost cards and non-BPL households• Only 57% of the poor households have ration cards• FPSs are not viable, they remain in business through

leakages • Homeless often do not have ration cards

No assessment of PDS in the last nine years

Justice Wadhwa Observations 2009

• Rajasthan - Unsatisfactory, many irregularities, irregular lifting of grain, no lifting and bulk lifting, PDS in the state has collapsed.

• Jharkhand - The distribution mechanism has continued in the hands of the most corrupt and inefficient Bihar State Food and Supply Corporation (BSFC). If the FPS owners do not pay Rs. 10 per bag to the godown manager, he gives rotten grains to FPS.

• Bihar - Diversion and black-marketing of food grains by FPS dealers. Strong nexus between officials of the department and FPS dealers. Ghost and bogus ration cards is a major problem in the state

• Orissa - Private storage agents are the major source of diversion in the State of Orissa as there is virtually no control or checking on their activities. The appointment of storage agent was susceptible to high political influence.

• Gujarat - FPS owners in the state bribe the officials every month. Ghost and bogus ration cards is a major problem in the state.

Factors behind Chhattisgarh’s success

• Political will

• Private dealers replaced by panchayats

• 70% families covered at Rs 2/1 per kg of rice

• Huge investment from state revenues

• Rice surplus state

• 500 people put behind the bars

• Toll free number for grievance redressal

• Constant monitoring

People put pressure when the scheme is credible23

24

Distribution of cardholders among poor and non-poor

  % poor with no ration card 

% poor with BPL/AAY cards 

% BPL/AAY cards with non-poor 

HP 3.3 39.9 51.1

Maharashra 19.2 22.9 48.7

Kerala  10.0 48.4 74.8

Haryana  4.4 32.4 74.8

Jharkhand 22.1 31.9 42.4

Orissa 29.3 54.8 38.1

Chhattisgarh 24.1 47.9 47

MP 30 41.9 46.2

All India 19.1 36 59.8

President’s Address June 2009

• Food Security for all

• Broader systemic reform of PDS

In addition, Congress Party’s election manifesto promised subsidized community kitchens for homeless & migrants in cities

with Central Government support

28

NAC decisions• Cover 90% rural and 50% urban population• 46% rural & 28% urban to get 7 kg per unit of

rice/wheat/ millets at Rs 3/2/1 per kg• 44% rural & 22% urban to get 7 kg per unit at

50% of the current Minimum Support Price• Legal entitlements for child and maternal

nutrition, mid-day meals for school children, as well as community kitchens and programmes for feeding destitute and vulnerable groupsThese recommendations can be implemented through an administrative order without waiting

for the Food Bill to be passed by Parliament28

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Food Security Act - Issues • Universal vs targeted• 25 kg per household, or 35 kg?• At what price?• Should procurement be increased, even when per capita

production does not increase?• Existing APL allocations to TN, AP, Kerala, northeast?• Exports• Introduction of UID and smart cards• Improving accountability

Imperatives for legislating the Right to Food

• Moral Imperative

(High growth and yet hunger and malnutrition persist alongside poor social indicators)

• Political Imperative

(Legislature vs.Judiciary)

• “Electoral” imperative

(Anti-incumbency in the context of the 2009 General and State Elections)

NFSB: What is in it that already existed

• Universal School Meals – Cooked meals provided across the country for primary and

upper primary school students as a result of Supreme Court orders

• Universal access to Integrated Child Development Services– Supplementary nutrition for children in the age group of 6

months to 6 years, pregnant and lactating women, based on SC orders

– SC orders also includes universalisation of other health and nutrition services, the NFSB does not cover these

• Subsidized Food grains through the Public Distribution System

NFSB: What’s new?

• Maternity Entitlements• Grievance Redressal Mechanism• PDS Reforms• Nutri-millets as part of the PDS • Women as entitlement holders

NFSB: What’s missing• Provisions for adolescent girls• Community kitchens in urban areas• Meals for persons living with starvation• One free meal as part of the destitute feeding programme• Entitlements for migrant workers• Pretty much all crucial determinants for addressing

malnutrition (drinking water, sanitation)• Quality and nutrition standards for school mid day meals,

supplementary nutrition etc.• Social Security Pensions (aged, single women, persons with

disabilities)• Provision for management of children with severe acute

malnutrition • Agrarian reforms and revival of agriculture

What is additionally needed for the NFSB

• Fiscal resources (annually)– 16000 crores for Maternity Entitlements– 27500 crores for expanded PDS coverage– 10000 crores for other schemes

• Foodgrains– 62 million MTs as compared to 55 million MTs

of food grains being currently provisioned

Issues still open to debate?

• Universal vs Targeting – Universality of the problem– Inclusion and exclusion errors in identification– Targeted rights?

• Food vs. Cash– Procurement– Inflation indexing– Intra-household equity– Banking infrastructure– Corruption