Introduction

• Sustainable Development Goals: Ending hunger and malnutrition is a key goal for 2030.
• Challenges: Rising conflicts, climate vulnerability, and economic slowdowns hinder progress toward food security.

Food Insecurity and Malnutrition

• Definitions:
  • Food insecurity indicates a lack of access to healthy diets.
  • Food sufficiency requires an effective distribution mechanism to ensure universal access to affordable food.
• Nutritional Balance:
  • Adequate food does not guarantee a balanced intake of necessary nutrients.
  • Transitioning to a nutritionally compliant environment requires addressing:
    • Unaffordability of healthy diets.
    • Unhealthy food consumption patterns.
    • Underlying inequalities among population segments.

Lack of Purchasing Capacity

• Global Hunger Assessment:
  • Undernourishment affects 9.4% of the global population (757 million people as of 2023).
  • Disparities in hunger:
    • Africa: 20.4%
    • Asia: 8.1%
    • Latin America: 6.2%
    • Oceania: 7.3%
• Projected Trends:
  • By 2030, half of the world’s hungry will reside in Africa.
• Rural Bias:
  • Under-nourishment is primarily a rural issue, with women facing greater disadvantages.
• Cost of Healthy Diet:
  • The cost peaked at $3.96 (PPP) per person/day in 2022.
  • Despite a slight decrease in those unable to afford a healthy diet globally, many in low-income countries still lack access.
• Indian Context:
  • In 2011, 63.3% of the rural Indian population could not afford a required diet.
  • Transformation of the agri-food system is essential for resilience and reducing inequalities.

Unhealthy Diets in India

• Diet Composition:
  • Indian diets often do not align with healthy dietary guidelines (EAT-Lancet reference).
• Affordability:
  • Reference diets in South Asia cost around 60% of average daily household income.
• Consumption Patterns:
  • Even affluent households consume less protein-rich food.
  • Factors influencing poor diet quality include:
    • Lack of availability and accessibility.
    • Limited awareness and acceptability.

Global Hunger Index (GHI)

• Controversy:
  • India ranks poorly on the GHI, which focuses on nutrition and early-age mortality rather than direct hunger.
• Statistical Insights:
  • NSSO data shows 3.2% of the population do not meet minimum meal standards.
  • More than 50% consume three meals daily, but around 2.5% fall short of two square meals a day.

Conclusion

• World Food Day Theme: “Right to foods for a better life and a better future” emphasizes the need for a hunger-free world.
• Right to Food Campaign:
  • Has gained momentum but faces challenges; many still lack the means to buy food.
• Proposed Solutions:
  • Establish food banks to reduce waste and ensure distribution.
  • Advocate for humanitarian food redistribution in food-sufficient regions to support food-deficient areas.