Wanted:Balanced, Nutritious Food

This topic is a part of Paper IV- General Studies III of the syllabus of Civil Services Exam

With a burgeoning population it is essential that India ensure adequate nutritious food, not just cereals, to feed its impoverished and poor masses, specially those living in backward and rural areas. Therefore, eradicating hunger needs to be given top most priority post haste.

More so, against the backdrop that the Agriculture Ministry’s advance estimates of kharif production is 6 million tonnes less than the last three years in the current fiscal totalling 124 million tonnes. Alongside, cereal output, estimated at 118 million tonnes too is 5 million tonnes below the last three years’ average output while production of pulses is placed at 5.6 million tonnes, half a million tonnes below the three-year average.

Worse, there are apprehensions, not without reason, that the country may face rice scarcity during summer. Whereby the Government might be forced to import rice. Add to this, the procurement system, distribution, support prices and food subsidies have outlived their utility and is a hotbed of corruption.

Complicating matters, these shortages come at a time when India lead a 50 developing nations group to stave of attempts by rich countries to kill food and agriculture subsidies along-with opening domestic markets to agricultural commodities at the recent WTO meeting in Nairobi.

Undeniably, it is impossible for India, Brazil, Indonesia etc. to cut subsidies and lower import duties so that agricultural commodities from the West can easily invade the developing countries markets. This cannot and should not be allowed at the cost of our farmer who depends on his small farm income for survival.

Pertinently, this demand of the US and European Union is not in tune with what it actually does. Think. The American Government gave about $ 12 billion farm subsidies while India provided only Rs 25 lakh crores ($ 40 billion) worth of these in 2014.

Adding to the farmers woes air pollution has emerged as a big threat to wheat and rice production in the country. A study conducted by scientists at the University of California two years ago found wheat yields during 2010 were on an average about 36 per cent lower than they would have been, thanks to the absence of air pollution and climate change.

For instance, in UP, the largest producer of rice and wheat, the latter’s yields were 50 per cent lower in 2010. Ditto was the case in Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh where wheat losses ranged from 15 to 56 per cent. Air pollution also negatively impacted rice production in Uttar Pradesh but made no significant impacts on wheat yields in Punjab and Haryana.

True, various studies point to yields being higher in the absence of air pollution and climate change. Recall, a study by the Benares Hindu University a decade back had measured the concentrations of certain air pollutants in rural areas and surmised the higher their levels, the lower the yields of at least three crops --- beans, spinach and wheat.

More. Vehicular exhaust and the burning of fuel-wood are among the primary sources of soot and ozone. Be it fuel emissions or unchecked industrial pollutants combined they are causing immense problems, not just in our cities but also rural and semi-urban areas thereby affecting directly or indirectly food production.

Consequently, the effect of food scarcity would increase prices and severely impact the poor and impoverished sections of society. This holds true of not just cereals but pulses and vegetables output also which has to commensurate with demand and ensure prices are kept under check.

Undoubtedly, productivity has to be boosted with technological inputs so that per hectare yields could be increased for cereals, pulses and vegetables. The Government needs to specially focus on the East and North East where yields are below the national average. It should endevour to make the much talked about lab-to-land approach become a reality.

However, it seems the NDA Government is not giving adequate attention to evolving an effective farm policy and ensuring productivity increase in all areas. In fact, analysts point out that the rural sector is being neglected which might become a serious cause for concern and completely erode public confidence.

Interestingly, the 68th UN General Assembly has designated 2016 as the International Year of Pulses in view of the need for higher growth and to meet the demands of the poorer sections, specially in Third World countries including India. The IYP aims to heighten public awareness of the nutritional benefits of pulses as part of sustainable food production aimed towards food security and nutrition.

Prime Minister Modi should seize the opportunity and encourage connections through food chains which would better utilize pulse-based proteins and increase production of pulses. Specially against the backdrop of rampant protein deficiency among women and children.

Clearly, the time has come to promote pulses as they are affordable and a highly nutritious source of protein and vital micronutrients and can greatly benefit people’s health and livelihood. Further, they also offer great potential to lift farmers out of rural poverty by getting them two to three time higher prices than cereals along-with providing additional economic opportunities via processing.

Happily, this view is endorsed by the UN Secretary General which too believes pulses contributed significantly in addressing hunger, food security, malnutrition and health issues and are a vital source of plant-based proteins and amino acids.

Therefore, India should not fall into the trap of the developed world of stopping subsidies but continue providing it to farmers along-with technological support to enable them to increase productivity. It is vital to make sure the rural poor are assured of a balanced and nutritious diet where pulses and vegetables should play a crucial role to curb malnutrition.