Meal Data and Hunger
Context:
India continues to grapple with food insecurity and undernutrition despite significant efforts to address these challenges.
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- The 2023 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report estimates that 74 million Indians were undernourished between 2020 and 2022, highlighting persistent food insecurity and hunger.
- The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2023 ranked India 111th out of 125 countries, emphasising high rates of child stunting, wasting, and undernourishment.
- Recent data from the NSS Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) 2022-23 sheds light on meal consumption patterns, offering valuable insights into the state of hunger in India.
Meal Consumption Patterns in India
- The HCES 2022-23 defines a “meal” as one or more readily eatable food items, typically centered on cereals.
- Analysis of the data reveals that only 3.2% of the population consumed fewer than 60 meals in the 30 days preceding the survey—a threshold indicating hunger.
- Most people (over 90%) consumed between 60 to 90 meals during this period, averaging two to three meals daily.
- Daily meal patterns further highlight that:
- 56.3% of the population consume three meals daily.
- 42.8% consume two meals daily.
- 0.1% eat only one meal daily.
- 0.8% consume no meals, which includes infants reliant on milk.
- Overall, 99.1% of the population consumes at least two or three meals daily.
- However, 2.5% of the population, equivalent to approximately 35 million people, consumed fewer than 60 meals a month, indicating occasional meal skipping or hunger.
Interpreting Hunger in India
- Based on the definition of two meals per day, the intensity of hunger in India appears relatively low.
- Yet, the absolute numbers remain substantial. With a population of approximately 1.4 billion, even small percentages translate into millions.
- 35 million people consumed fewer than 60 meals in the 30 days preceding the survey.
- 93.8 million people (6.7% of the population) could not maintain their usual daily meal frequency over a month.
- This data highlights the ongoing prevalence of hunger, even as the majority meets basic meal frequency requirements.
Beyond Meal Frequency: Food Quality and Security
- While the HCES data provides insights into meal frequency, it does not account for the nutritional quality of food consumed—a crucial aspect of food security.
- Undernourishment extends beyond meal frequency, encompassing issues of food diversity, safety, and nutritional adequacy.
- For instance, the 74 million undernourished people identified in the SOFI report reflect a broader issue of food insecurity, which is influenced by the balance and nutritional value of the food consumed.
- Hunger and food insecurity, therefore, need to be assessed separately to capture both the quantity and quality of food consumption.
Initiatives to Tackle Hunger and Food Security
National Food Security Act (NFSA): Enacted in 2013, the NFSA provides legal entitlements to food for a significant portion of the population. It covers up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population, amounting to approximately 81 crore beneficiaries. Beneficiaries receive subsidised food grains through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), which includes both Priority Households and Antyodaya Anna Yojana categories.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY): Launched to alleviate hardships faced by the poor during the COVID-19 pandemic, this scheme provides free food grains to approximately 81.35 crore beneficiaries. The government has extended PMGKAY for an additional five years starting from January 2024, ensuring continued support for vulnerable populations.
PM POSHAN Abhiyaan: This scheme aims to improve the nutritional status of children in government and government-aided schools. It encourages regular school attendance among disadvantaged students by providing nutritious meals, thereby addressing both hunger and educational outcomes.
Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): Launched in 1975, ICDS aims to provide food, preschool education, and primary healthcare to children under six years, pregnant women, and lactating mothers.
Public Distribution System (PDS): The PDS plays a crucial role in ensuring food security by distributing essential commodities at subsidised rates to low-income households.
National Food Security Mission: Launched in 2007, this mission aims to increase the production of staple crops like rice, wheat, and pulses through area expansion and productivity enhancement.
Mid-Day Meal Scheme: This centrally sponsored scheme provides free meals to school children in Classes I-VIII in government and aided schools.
Addressing Food Insecurity
- Improved Data Collection: The absence of detailed public data on food quantity, quality, and nutritional value limits the ability to assess food security comprehensively.
- Policy Alignment: Policies must focus on regional disparities in food access, affordability, and distribution.
- Holistic Solutions: Addressing hunger requires targeted interventions that go beyond meal frequency to ensure balanced and diverse diets.
Achieving zero hunger in India necessitates a multi-pronged approach that integrates data-driven policy making, targeted nutrition programs, and robust food distribution systems.
