1. Food Security Challenges of India :
Are we ready?
By:
VIJAY SARDANA
PGDM (IIM-A), M.Sc. (Food Tech)(CFTRI),
B.Sc.(Dairy Tech), PG Dipl. in Intl. Trade Laws & ADR
Head - Food Security Initiatives & Agribusiness
UPL GROUP
sardana.vijay@gmail.com
Presented during
National Productivity Council’s National Seminar on “AN INTEGRATED APPROACH FOR ENHANCING THE
PRODUCTIVITY, QUALITY AND SAFETY OF INDIAN FOOD PRODUCTS” 11-12 January 2013, New Delhi.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal.
sardana.vijay@gmail.com

2. What is the Ground Reality about Agriculture
and Food Situation in India?
Let us face the facts….
sardana.vijay@gmail.com

3. Population (in millions)
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
Least developed countries Landlocked developing countries Small island developing States
Low income economies Lower-middle-income economies Low-income food-deficit countries
India

4. Age Groups in Indian Population
(in Nos., %)
Population Population
Thirty Plus (30-44) Middle Aged (45-59)
200 111
19% 11%
Population, Senior(6
0-74), 63, 6%
Population
Aged (75+)
16
2%
Population
Youth (15-29) Population
274 Children (0-14)
27% 364
35%

5. Minimum Dietary Energy Requirement (MDER)
1850
1800
1750
1700
1650
1600
Least developed countries Landlocked developing countries Small island developing States
Low income economies Lower-middle-income economies Low-income food-deficit countries
India

6. Number of People Undernourished
(in Millions)
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
Least developed countries Landlocked developing countries Small island developing States
Low income economies Lower-middle-income economies Low-income food-deficit countries
India

7. No. of People Undernourished in India
21.735 Crore

8. India: % of children under 5 yrs of age
who are stunted
70 66.2 65.4 Percentage
60 57.1
51
48.5 47.9
50
40
30
20
10
0
1990 1992 1993 1997 1999 2006

9. Percentage of children under 5
years of age who are underweight
59.5
56.6 India
60.0
50.7
50.0 44.4 43.5
41.1
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
1990 1992 1993 1997 1999 2006

10. Average Dietary Supply Adequacy (in %)
115
110
105
100
95
90
Least developed countries Landlocked developing countries Small island developing States
Low income economies Lower-middle-income economies Low-income food-deficit countries
India

11. India: Share of Food Expenditure of the Poor
Percentage
80 74
68
70 63 60
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1993 2000 2003 2004

12. Prevelance of Food Inadequacy (in Percentage)
50.0
45.0
40.0
35.0
30.0
25.0
20.0
Least developed countries Landlocked developing countries Small island developing States
Low income economies Lower-middle-income economies Low-income food-deficit countries
India

13. India needs additional
15 million tons
of Food Grains to meet this current food deficit.

14. Factual Position in brief…
 92% of India’s population need full nutrition to
grow and perform their assigned duties. (Only 8%
are senior citizens above 60 years).
 More than 200 million people are undernourished
 Majority of Indian need low cost food, existing cost
is too expensive to sustain living standards. They
spend close to 70% income on food.
 Additional 15 million tons food is required to meet
minimum nutritional needs.
sardana.vijay@gmail.com

15. Collective wisdom required to address following
Important challenges…
 Ensuring yield from limited area available for cultivation
 Unknown threats and challenge due to climate change
 Closing yield gaps to ensure food availability at affordable
prices
 Preserve natural eco-system and biodiversity
 Diversify Agriculture systems
 Ensuring health and nutrition for humans as well as animals
 Managing water scarcity
 Sustainable sources of energy
 Linking knowledge systems to bridge gaps
sardana.vijay@gmail.com

16. Policies & Technologies required to address
the following…
 “Precision” and “Targeted Application” will be the key world in
future agriculture.
 Conservation of soil, water and natural resources
 Better efficiency by use of technologies to conserve resources
 Climate change will impact behaviours of seeds, pests, microbes
and other biological systems.
 Remote sensing, ICT, bio-engineering, nanotechnology, etc. will be
required to have result oriented targeted approaches like we have
in medical science.
 Traditional and Conventional systems may not be effective against
these new challenges. We need technologies to address these
challenges without compromising food security.
 “Misplaced Perceptions” and “Unwillingness” to adopt modern
concepts will be the biggest challenge.
sardana.vijay@gmail.com

17. Proposed Action Plan
 Government of India has to decide in how many years they want to eradiate
hunger and malnutrition.
 Add food requirements of new human population into growth rate.
 Also Consider food and feed requirement for livestock sector as well.
 Each State Government’s Agriculture Policy must have food security
commitments in specified time frame as part of their fundamental duty to
ensure food security for all.
 Don’t spend time in reinvesting the wheel. Learn from other countries with
similar agro-climatic conditions those who have achieved faster and
effective growth rate than India.
 Identify only those technologies for promotion, where input and output
ratio meets desired parameters.
 Biodiversity protection fund should be created by charging high-end
consumers only, because common man is already paying 70% for food.
sardana.vijay@gmail.com

18. Agriculture Production Policy needs reorientation
with clear focus on India’s Food security & safety
 Many countries have trading interest in food. India is a big market
for them. They don’t want India to become self sufficient in food.
 Many with vested interests will support forums and organizations
to make noise in the name of environment, sustainability, food
safety, etc. so that India delays technology adoption and delay
home grown India’s food security.
 People opposing technology adoption, must be asked to give
alternate food security plan for India with resource requirement in a
given time frame and live examples on large scale from anywhere
in the world.
 Utility of Production Concepts leading for premium foods and food
inflation like Organic foods , peri-urban agriculture, biofuel, etc.
should be evaluated from India’s food security, food safety and
average poor consumers’ point of view, before taking them as state
policy by Government of India.
sardana.vijay@gmail.com

19. Thank you
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Vijay Sardana Online
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