Food Security in India: Emerging Issues and Policy Options

By : Sanjeev Kumar

Page No: 143-154

Abstract
In recent years, Indian agricultural sector has been facing various challenges for achieving food security at the national level due to massive pressure from the ever-increasing population and the change in preferences in crop production techniques. The present paper discusses the emerging trends, patterns and determinants of food security for the period 1980–81 to 2015–16 at national level. Results reveal that the growth rate of production and productivity of food grain crops decreased at a significant rate during the study period. However, the compound annual growth rate of per capita net availability of food grains declined at a significant rate, but on the other side, growth rate of per capita availability of non-food articles increased during the study period. The results of regression model revealed that crop diversification, climate change and agricultural openness have a negative impact on food security, while food grain productivity had a positive impact on food security during the study period. There is a strong need to regulate the government policies related to food management, crop management, climate change and globalization for reducing its negative effects on food security in India.

Author :
Sanjeev Kumar : Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, University of Lucknow, Lucknow.