Assault on hunger picks up pace

Undernourishment in India falls at steepest rate in 2011-13 over two decades: UN

The number of people suffering from chronic hunger in India declined at the fastest pace in 2011-13 since 1990-92, according to a joint report by United Nations’ food agencies.

The number declined 6.5 per cent in 2011-13 against a reduction of 1.9 per cent in 2008-10. In 2005-07, this rate was 3.2 per cent.

“Over the last 20 years, food availability in developing regions has risen faster than the average dietary energy requirements, while the quality of diets has improved,” said the report by the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Fund for Agricultural Development and the World Food Programme.

According to the FAO definition, undernourishment is a state of inability to acquire food for at least a year — a level of intake insufficient to meet dietary energy requirements.

The proportion of undernourished people in the total population also came down to 17 per cent in 2011-13 from 18.9 per cent in 2008-10. However, the report, The State of Food Insecurity in the World, stated that if undernourishment in India continues to only decline at this pace, this might not be sufficient to reach the Millennium Development Goal (MDG). The MDG hunger target says the proportion of hungry people in the total population should be halved by 2015, with 1990 as the starting year.

“Nevertheless, the target can be met, provided that additional efforts to reduce hunger are brought underway, both to address immediate needs and to sustain longer-term progress,” said the UN bodies.

In 1990-92, 227.3 million people suffered undernourishment. In 2011-13, the number in such a condition had reduced to 213.8 mn. Also, among the emerging developing countries, the proportion of undernourished people remained the highest in India. In China, 11.4 per cent of the population suffered chronic hunger, followed by Brazil (6.9 per cent) and South Africa (less than five per cent) in 2011-13.

“Given that there is enough food in the country, undernourishment is mainly caused by problems in economic access,” the report noted.

It said growth can raise incomes and reduce hunger but higher economic growth might not reach everyone. “It may not lead to more and better jobs for all, unless policies specifically target the poor, especially those in rural areas,” said the report.

The agencies said long-term commitment to mainstreaming food security and nutrition in public policies and programmes is key to hunger reduction. “Keeping food security and agriculture high on the development agenda...supported by sustained social protection, is crucial for achieving major reductions in poverty and undernourishment.”

The new Food Security Act has been described as a step towards this aim.

 

The highly debated Food Security Act 2013 passed in Parliament recently, is a step towards that, experts said. This Act entitles 5 kg of foodgrains per capita per month (rice at Rs 3 a kg, wheat at Rs 2 a kg and coarse grains at Rs 1 a kg) for the priority households.