HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY

 WHAT CAN WE DO IN ORDER ENSURE FOOD SECURITY?

- VEDANT AND RAJVEER

1. ENSURE FOOD IS SAFE 

National governments are important in ensuring that food is safe and nutritious for all. And they have a good reason - according to the World Bank, unsafe food alone is costing low- and middle-income economies 95 95 billion annually in productivity. To help reduce this number, policymakers can promote sustainable agriculture and food systems, promoting cooperation in public health, animal health, agriculture and other areas. Countries may also comply with international standards established by the Codex Elementary Commission. 

2. GROW FOOD SAFELY 

Food producers need to adopt better practices to ensure adequate supply of safe food globally as well as mitigate their environmental impact and adapt to climate change. As food production systems change and adapt to changing conditions, farmers should carefully consider the best ways to address potential risks and ensure food is safe. Integrating plant and animal health, for example, could help discourage antimicrobial resistance and reduce the number of people worldwide who die from antimicrobial-resistant infections to 700,000.

3. KEEP FOOD SAFE 

For business operators, preventive controls can address most food safety issues. Everyone involved in food operations - from processing to retail - must ensure compliance with programs such as HACCP, which identifies, evaluates and controls significant food-safety hazards. In addition to reducing the likelihood of illness, good practices for processing, storage and preservation can also reduce post-harvest losses and help food retain its nutritional value - as well as help businesses increase their participation in the US $ 1.6 trillion global food trade.

4. TEAM UP FOR SAFETY 

After all, food security is a shared responsibility. Governments, regional economic bodies, UN agencies, development agencies, trade associations, consumer and producer groups, educational and research organizations, and private sector organizations should work together on issues affecting us. There is a need for cooperation globally, regionally and locally - while fighting the global foodborne illness epidemic within government and across borders.

HOW INDIA CAN IMPROVE ITS FOOD SECURITY AFTER COVID CRISIS?

The coronavirus epidemic poses a more serious challenge to our health. Food security and the livelihoods of millions have been compromised, and the impact of the epidemic on economies is likely to starve millions more. The UN World Food Program estimates that Covid-19 will increase the number of people facing acute food insecurity worldwide - from 265 million in 2020, to 130 million. We can only prevent this today by taking swift action.

This will also mean a rise in malnutrition among children and overall threat to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This is a pandemic emergency that no one was prepared for; some experts have even said the virus is here to stay. Governments around the world will need to step up investments to deal with this crisis, and exhibit solidarity to prepare and adapt for future challenges.

India has made commendable progress in agricultural development in the last few decades. I remember my time at Punjab Agricultural University in 1970s; The efforts made by these universities and the thirst of the farmers of Punjab for new crop varieties were inspiring. Since then, there has been commendable progress towards self-sufficiency in food production. The current year's grain harvest, for example, is expected to be about 291 million tons, far ahead of what it was until the 1980s. The stock of 77.7 million tonnes of wheat and rice also means that there is enough to meet any urgent demand for food for several months.

Mid-day meals – The mid-day meal programme provides daily meals to over 120 million children between classes 1 and 8 in all government and government-aided schools with nutritious cooked meals. The government has budgeted Rs 160 crore for 2.54 million tonnes of rice and wheat every year for the meals. This programme is expected to help improve school enrolment, retention and attention even while reducing classroom hunger.

As of April 2020, the Ministry of Human Resource Development issued a second guidance to all states and UTs requesting them to continue providing mid-day meals or food security allowance of food grains and its cooking cost to fulfil nutritional requirements of eligible children under the scheme. Today, about 33 states and UTs distribute food rations; Bihar distributes cash.

There is a broad alliance of NGOs and private sector and government support to respond to the increased demand for food. It was noted that more than 37,900 relief camps were set up for the migrants, food was served to more than 16 million people, which is increasing day by day. About 1.65 million workers were provided with housing and food by employers. Some estimates suggest that 60-80 million people migrate between states, many of whom return to their home villages, and so the challenges of providing assistance to this large population at various levels remain daunting.