This power-point describes the methodology and analysis used in the first session of a workshop organised by Visthar, Bangalore on gender and food security in India. The objective of this session was to help participants understand the concept of food security and the situation of food security in India and some states for which data was available. It argues that food production, access and utilisation are three important elements of food security. It argues that food security situation in 17 states of the country reviewed is either 'extremely alarming', 'alarming' or 'serious" India is far from track on achieving MDGs on nutrition. THAT IS GROWTH HAS NOT TRANSLATED INTO FOOD OR NUTRITION SECURITY. The powerpoint of session 2 explores the reasons

1. Food Security situation in India
Ranjani.K.Murthy and Mercy Kappen

2. Objectives
Understand food security
• Objective 1
Understand food security situation in
India
• Objective 2

3. Task
• Brainstorm in small groups the definition of
food security

4. Definition
• There is no straightforward, universally
accepted definition of food security. Most
versions stipulate secure access to sufficient,
affordable and good quality nutritious food.
Such conditions for food security can be
assessed on any scale, from a single
household to the global population.

5. Three pillars of Food security
Production Access Utilization

6. Chronic and acute food insecurity
Chronic
food
insecurity Serious
Constant
condition of
mild hunger
condition of
hunger
Indicators such
as mortality
cross threshold
levels
Acute
food
insecurity

7. Group task
– Draw a map of their state and discuss which parts
are food secure and insecure and why and
whether it is only risk of hunger or they are
vulnerable to chronic or acute food insecurity,
– Assess which households are food insecure and
whether it is only risk of hunger or they are
vulnerable to chronic or acute food insecurity,
– Assess who in the household is food insecure and
whether it is only risk of hunger or they are
vulnerable to chronic or acute food insecurity

8. Food security situation within states
Backward areas and slums fare worse on food security
LL, MF, SF , migrants etc fare worse on food security
Dalits, Adivasis & minorities fare worse on food security
Women and girls fare worse

9. Food security situation in states
• India’s Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2008 score is 23.7,
which gives it an abysmal rank of 66 out of 88
countries.
• The International Food Policy Research Institute
(IFPRI) has formulated India State Hunger Index along
the lines of Global Hunger index taking three criteria:
inadequate consumption, child underweight, and
child mortality
• The 17 states covered by the IFPRI score worse than
the “low” and “moderate” hunger categories as per
the India state Hunger Index (ISHI).

10. Food security situation in states
Extremely
alarming
• MP
Alarming
• TN., Karnataka, Maharashtra,
Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa,
Gujarat, WB Bengal, Bihar,
Haryana, UP and Rajasthan
Serious
• Punjab, AP
Kerala,
and Assam

11. Food security situation in states
• There is lack of a clear relationship between state-level
economic growth and hunger.
• A closer examination of these states’ past and
current investments in social protection, health,
and nutrition programs can help inform the
debate about policy instruments to protect
populations against hunger even in the face
of poverty.

12. Food security situation in India
• The first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) falls short of
aspirations to achieve food security by seeking only to
reduce by half the proportion of the world’s population
experiencing hunger.
• Between 1991 and 2007 the percentage of Indian
population undernourished declined from 20% to only 19%
far short of what is required to achieve the target of 10%.
• The proportion of children under five years who are
underweight fell in between 1992 and 2006 from 52.8% to
only 43.5%. Again this is far short of what is required to
achieve the target of 26.4% by 2015.