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Opinion
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| THE HUNGER CRISIS | | | | India faces significant challenges in addressing hunger, particularly when measured against the global hunger index. The India state hunger index for 2017 is presented to evaluate hunger across states, filling the void post-2008. Most states and union territories fall in the serious category with only a few in the moderate, none in the low, and some in the alarming categories. A consumption threshold of 1,600 kcal is proposed to identify populations at risk of undernourishment. This allows ISHI 2017 to align with the GHI scores for India for 2017. To meet the Sustainable Development Goal-2 of “No Hunger” by 2030, strategies must target reducing undernourishment, under-five mortality, stunting, and wasting at the subnational level, necessitating regular review and monitoring of interventions.
There are 820 million chronically hungry people in the world, a significant proportion of whom live in South Asia, including India (WHO 2019). Hunger is of two types: overt hunger and hidden hunger. Overt hunger necessitates filling of the stomach at regular intervals, while hidden hunger alludes to micronutrient deficiency that is fundamental in limited quantities for the human body, as well as inadequate protein and calorie intake (Gopaldas 2006). There has been a drastic decline in self-reported hunger in India from 16.1% to 1.9% between 1983 and 2004–05, which implies a decline in food insecurity (Kumaran 2008). Adequate calorie consumption is closely linked to the socio-economic status (SES) and health status of a nation. To measure a nation’s progress, a standardised method, the global hunger index (GHI) has been developed. The GHI takes into account four SES and health indicators, namely prevalence of undernourishment, child stunting,
Conflict, economic shocks, climate extremes and soaring fertilizer prices are combining to create a food crisis of unprecedented proportions. As many as 309 million people are facing chronic hunger in 72 countries. We have a choice: act now to save lives and invest in solutions that secure food security, stability and peace for all, or see people around the world facing rising hunger.
India, home to more than 1.39 billion people is one of the top food-producing nations in the world. The production of food grains has been increasing continuously from the ‘Green Revolution’ of the 1960s, and today India is one of the leading producers of rice, wheat, pulses and cotton. She ranks first in the production of milk, and second in production of fruits and vegetables.
But despite agricultural self-sufficiency, a steadily increasing GDP, and increased per capita consumption, India finds itself engulfed in a serious hunger crisis. This is discernible by the continuous downslide on the Global Hunger Index (GHI), published jointly by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. India ranked 107th out of 121 countries in 2022. With a score of 29.1, India lags behind its neighbours Sri Lanka (64), Nepal (81), Bangladesh (84) and Pakistan (99) in addressing hunger.
The scale of the current global hunger and malnutrition crisis is enormous. More than 42.3 million people face Emergency levels of hunger, while more than 1.1 million people are in the grips of catastrophic hunger – primarily in Gaza but also pockets in South Sudan and Mali. They are teetering on the brink of famine.
Many food crises involve multiple overlapping issues driving hunger that are building year on year. The interplay between conflict, economic shocks and the impact of the climate crisis is vital to understanding the scale of the challenge. The global community must not fail on its promise to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030.
According to the UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) 'The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, 2022 Report', 224.3 million people, or 16 per cent of India's population, are undernourished with 53 per cent of reproductive-age women also being anemic. | | | | |
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