Food for future

While the pandemic-triggered near collapse of the world economy has fuelled food inflation, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war — which affected global patterns of food grains trade, production and consumption — has intensified the fear of food insecurity across the world. More than 93 per cent of low- and middle-income countries and 89 per cent of upper middle-income countries have experienced above five per cent food inflation in April-June this year. The World Bank states that in August 2022, 23 countries have banned food exports while at least seven countries have implemented export-limiting measures. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), 345 million people in 82 countries have been subjected to acute food insecurity, and it could worsen in 20 countries by September 2022.

Neglect of the farm sector, increase in urbanisation and growing population are the chief factors behind the crisis while climate change played the last straw. Developing countries like India may have to bear the brunt of it the most. According to FAO, about 189 million people in India are undernourished — the largest number in any single country. Though the country made remarkable progress in food production and distribution, its dependency on imports for 60 per cent of edible oil and 35 per cent of pulses refutes the claims of self-sufficiency. Likewise, without surplus production, the glory of being a 'net exporter' (more exports than imports) is but a placebo.

Issues in the Indian agriculture sector tend to outnumber their solutions. The increasing cost of cultivation (CoC) and indebtedness has made farming a viable venture, especially for small and marginal farmers. Poor infrastructure, low use of farm technologies, and decrease in soil fertility result in low productivity, low income and low investment which, again, lead to low productivity — thus creating a vicious cycle. It is reported that between 1991 and 2011, around 14 million farmers had quit farming due to financial stress, and the increasing number of migrant labourers vouched for agrarian distress. As per Census 2011 data, 56 per cent of the net rural-to-urban migration was purely for employment reasons.

According to the Situation Assessment Survey (SAS) 2021, composition of average monthly income of agricultural households has drastically undergone a change since 2014. Net receipt from crop production declined from 48 per cent in 2014 to 37 per cent in 2021 while an increase of eight per cent in income from wages and an increase of four per cent in income from animal farming was observed. Similarly, net income from farm business fell by two per cent while a new source of income — lease of land —with one per cent share surfaced. This shows a crisis in India's primary sector as farmers are under duress, and are preferring wage labour over earnings from the farm. A gradual decline in the number of cultivators and a rise in that of agriculture workers and migrant labourers is a wakeup call in the context of imminent threat to food security for a nation which may have to feed two billion odd population in the next two decades.

India has the largest arable land (1.56 million sq. km) — second only to the US (1.57 million sq. km). Yet, Indian farming being solely dependent on resource 'access' is an issue. MSP alone cannot ensure growth in productivity. With 70 per cent of the population depending on agriculture and 82 per cent of farmers belonging to the small and medium category, reducing CoC is necessary. Water, farm machinery, subsidised seeds, subsidised power and credit are basic resources farmers need access to. Secondly, crop diversification needs a push, for it not only helps augment the production but also rejuvenates the fertility of soil. Thirdly, expansion in rabi area — which is presently not even one-fourth of kharif area — is important in order to increase the production of crops like wheat, mustard, and Bengal gram. Fourthly, allied activities — fisheries, poultry, piggeries, goat rearing etc. — need enhanced financing and marketing support since they not only double the incomes of farmers but are also repositories of protein-rich food. Fifthly, forward linkages through cold storage, quick marketing forums, and transport in the production chain need to be guaranteed so that farmers do not have to dump their produce in despair, as it happens in many states. Last but not the least is to increase spending in R&D which is crucial for improving the productivity of crops and augmenting allied sectors. No doubt, the government has rolled out dozens of schemes but the question is: is the public spending adequate to fructify them and achieve desired results?

Studies reveal that public spending on agriculture has plummeted from 11 per cent in 2010-11 to 9.5 per cent in 2019-20 in India; it is just 15 per cent in India vis-à-vis about 33 per cent in the US and 43 per cent in Italy. Besides, a shift in spending was seen towards 'income support and credit-based assistance' from 'support for direct production' which means that government spending on investment in agricultural infrastructure — a crucial element for productivity (as happened during the green revolution) — is on the decline. The agriculture budget for the current financial year hardly saw any increase over that of the last year. However, it's heartening to note that allocation to allied sectors — fisheries and animal husbandry and dairy — has increased by 73 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively, over 2021-22. But spending on R&D is only between 0.3 per cent to 0.4 per cent, which is much lower than Brazil (1.8 per cent), Mexico (1.05 per cent), Malaysia (0.99 per cent) and China (0.62 per cent). Similarly, allocation for sustainable agriculture remains persistently low.

A word of caution is necessary here since unlocking the full potential of agriculture means adding to greenhouse effects. Sustainable development through 'mitigation' measures or 'adaptation' techniques is the key. States may do well by developing their own models of sustainable agriculture. A thing or two can be learned from Chhattisgarh's experiment called 'Narwa, Garuva, Ghurva, and Baadi' — meaning a village centric approach for concerted action to ensure water conservation, livestock development, use of compost and development of kitchen gardens. It is an integrated approach to the primary sector, making sustainable use of native resources.

It will be a disservice not to voice concern, at this juncture, about the colossal waste of food at production and consumption levels, which further adds to the food crisis. The Food Waste Index Report, 2021 says that around 931 million tonnes of food is wasted globally — 61 per cent comes from household, 26 per cent from food services and 13 per cent from retail; this holds largely true for India, too, since around 17 per cent of produced food is wasted at storage and transit level while the household food waste estimate is 50 kg per capita per year (or 6,87,60,163 tonnes a year). As they say, 'energy saved is energy produced'. Similarly, food saved is food produced. It's time a national awareness campaign is launched.

The Food Security Act is meant for distribution whereas production is of utmost concern. It's a mission requiring higher public spending on agriculture and allied sectors. Food security is not just about feeding people; it encompasses all aspects of economy and society. Growth and development become elusive without providing for the survival of the future population. Spending on agriculture is largely borne by states. In view of the poor finances of several states, it is high time that the Centre takes the lead to ensure a balanced growth across the country. Protecting the rights of all farmers and helping the small and marginal farmers are equally important measures for increasing productivity. Issues of growth in all other sectors must be addressed while keeping future food security at the focal point, so that we do not end up with millions of hungry people amid exponential growth in the economy.

The writer is a former Addl. Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh. Views expressed are personal