Covering Food Insecurity In Jharkhand

Covering Food Insecurity In Jharkhand

By Sudhir Pal

Jharkhand, the 28th state of India is rich in all respects. Abundance of minerals. wide range of bio-diversities, water resources, fertile land, mountain valley all makes the Jharkhand most promising and potential state of nation. But this is only one side of the picture. The darkest part of Jharkhand is that still 50 percent population living below poverty line, high level of malnutrition and lowest on the social development and infrastructure index

Food security is a big problem in Jharkhand. Nine districts are identified as most insecure zones. These are Garwha, Palamu, Lathehar, Chatra, Jamtara, Sahebgunj, Pakur, Dumka and Godda. Food insecurity means when all people at all times do not have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preference for an active and healthy life. Hunger is just one aspect of food insecurity. Hunger is difficult to measure, since perception of hunger differ from one person to another. Importantly, food insecurity may be present or imminent. A state producing sufficient food at present may not be able to produce the same amount in future, due to environmental factors such as lend degradation or ground water depletion or due to economic factors e.g. lack of price incentives. A region with inadequate food production would face insecurity at Present. If it overuses its natural resources and fails in making provision for preventing environmental degradation, it would become potentially food insecure.

Jharkhand produces only 24 million tones food stuffs which is just half of the state requirements. Potential food insecurity is related not only to existing malnutrition of the people but also to the lack of access to safe drinking water and poor sanitation and health conditions. The livelihood of a person falling ill or consuming a diet, which is unbalanced, constitutes potential food insecurity. Thus potential food insecurity can occur either due to a potential lack of livelihood or a potential threat of disease and lack of absorption.

Food insecurity may be chronic or transitory. In Jharkhand it is chronic. Chronic food insecurity refers to a situation in which people consistently consume diets inadequate in calories and essential nutrients. The calorie intake is around 2000 K. Cal per person per day in the rural areas with 14.10% consuming below 1890 K. Cal per day and 41.80% of household are consuming less than 2400 K. Cal/day. This is below all India rural average and is less than what it was 20 years earlier. This often,happens due to the inability to ¿access¿ food by production, purchase,gift or aid. Transitory food insecurity is a temporary shortfall in food availability and consumption. Factors like fall in income, increase in food prices, shortage of production, temporary shortfall due to floods, droughts and other natural calamities etc., lead to temporary food insecurity.

Food insecurity is a complex phenomenon. The interaction of food availability, food access and food absorption aspects results in a situation of food insecurity. Availability of food - to meet demands of growing population and changing dietary needs; access to food which is a function of purchasing power, sustainable livelihoods and employment opportunities and entitlement to subsidized schemes ; absorption and utilization of food, which is a function of access to clean drinking water, environmental hygiene and primary health care and nutrition practices.

Food Availability :- Food availability may be hampered by low levels of production or inadequate inflow of food into the area. Low levels of production may be due to limitations such as markets, credit, technology and the natural resources base. It may also be due to lack of price incentives to production.