Agricultural Law Project

FOOD SECURITY IN DEVELOPING NATIONS

Aakarsh Kumar
Sec- A, 216001
Monsoon Semester 2019-2020
 INTRODUCTION

The term ‘food security’ is something that everyone across the world is aware of but often
poses as a blank screen when it comes to putting it into words. Scholars and authors have
undertaken various views to define it but somehow each definition lacks in adequately
circumscribing the ambit of food security. For some, local or national food sufficiency based
on export worthy cash crop production and protection of famers against prevalent competitive
prices is good enough while for others food security is just adequate supply of food during
emergency or famine.1 While all these definitions address a part of objective of food security
but all of them viewed from a broader perspective are narrow to the extent that they don’t
entail everything to give a holistic picture. Food security is a flexible concept and the
continuing evolution of the definition is a reflection of wider recognition of this global
problem.2 The year of 1974 marked the realisation of importance of food security and
pertaining to this issue, World Food Conference was convened in Rome, to come up with
possible solutions. Food and Agriculture Organisation has defined it as “Food security exists
when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their
dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” 3 This definition as given
in the World food Summit in the year 1996. While on the face of it the definition seems to be
straightforward but it as serious noteworthy implications. 4 According to Inter Press Service
News Agency, (US agency), in the year 2016, 795 million people worldwide did not have the
enough sufficient access to food to live a healthy active life and the vast majority of the
world’s hungry live in developing countries, where 12.9 percent of the population is
undernourished, according to UN estimate.5

1
Stephen J. Scanlan, Food Security and Comparative Sociology, International Journal of Sociology, Vol. 33
page 83 to 111.
2
Rushad Faridi, S. Naimul Wadood, An Econometric Assessment of Household Food Security in Bangladesh,
Bangladesh Development Studies, Published by: Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, Volume
33,No,3, pg. 97 to 111.
3
FAO Policy Brief on Food Security, Issue 2, June 2006. Available at:
http://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/faoitaly/documents/pdf/pdf_Food_Security_Cocept_Note.pdf
4
J.Staatz, D. Boughton, C. Donovon , Food Security in Developing Countries, Staff Paper, Michigan State
University. April, 2009.
5
Inter Press News Agency Report, 2016.
 SCOPE

In this paper the author has endeavoured to analyse and highlight the evolution, existence and
solution of one of scathing problems faced by the world at large i.e. food security. The author
has initially analysed the emergence of the concept of food security and problems in the
global diaspora. Then the author had highlighted the pertinent problems faced by developing
nations by taking the example of India, what are the prevalent problems, how can they be
resolved and what step are the government taking in its pursuance are the primary of focus of
this section of the paper. After analysing the Indian scenario, the author has focused on the
problems faced by the world at large at implementing food security measures and finally the
author concludes the paper with relevant suggestions to tackle the problem of food security at
a global level.

Research questions

Q. 1 How did the awareness about food security spread across nations and what is the
problem of food security?

Q. 2 How did the right to food found its existence in every nation and how was it addressed
by International organisations?

Q. 3 What are the possible causes of low food condition and poor nutrition across the globe?

Q. 4 What is the food security situation in India? What are the problems and what are the
possible solutions?

Q. 5 What are the solutions to eradicate the problem of food security across the developing
nations?

RECOGNITION OF THE PROBLEM: AWAKENING

The concept of food security stemmed only in the mid-1970s at a time of global food crisis.
The initial attention was focussed on supply issues such as availability for everyone and
stability of price of basic necessary food stud in the national and international market. 6 An
international dialogue followed in the year 1974 known as World Food conference which
pondered on the policy issues risking the production, distribution and availability of food. 7
Issues such as famine, growing world hunger and crisis were centre of the theme of the

6
Supra, Note 1.
7
World Summit, https://www.un.org/en/development/devagenda/food.shtml
dialogue and the outcome was observance of the fact that behaviour of the ones affected by
these issues the most are critical to redefine food security. 8 In 1974s the volume and stability
of food supplies were major concerns and World Food Summit took cognizance of it. 9 In the
year 1983, FAO gave a broader name to it and highlighted on the fact that there should be a
balance in the demand and supply of food across nations. 10 The year 1986 marked the World
Bank report on “Poverty and Hunger” which distinguishes chronic food insecurity from
transitory food security.11 By the year 1990s, food security was seen as one of the major
concerns of all the nations across the globe, the definition was further broadened with a view
of addressing nutritional needs, protein intake, food composition and food preferences
keeping in mind the social and cultural preferences.12

THE RECOGNITON OF RIGHT TO FOOD ACROSS THE GLOBE

The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights initially codified the right to food. 13 Article
25 of the UDHR explicitly links the right to food to individual’s health and well-being. 14 This
marks the recognition of the persisting and prevalent problems in the sphere of food security
across the globe.15 The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights lays
down in the Article 11 that it is the duty of the nations and states to ensure that the rights
pertaining to health and living standard should be maintained. 16 And such a standard can be
made available to everyone only when there is sufficient food and housing. 17 The sole focus
of such a provision under the charter of International covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Right is to curb the problem of world hunger and in furtherance of it, suggestions for
improvement in the area of distribution, conservation and production. 18 It promotes agrarian
and nutritional reforms which can pervade with spreading awareness through education,
transition from tradition methods of production to scientific methods and improvement of

8
Id.
9
Id.
10
Eileen Kennedy, Qualitative measures of food insecurity and hunger, Keynote paper, International Life
Sciences Institute. Available at: http://www.fao.org/3/Y4249E/y4249e0c.htm
11
World bank report on “Poverty and Hunger”, Available at:
http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/166331467990005748/pdf/multi-page.pdf
12
B. Saul, Jacqueline M., D. Kinley, The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
Commetary, Cases and Materials, Oxford University Press, 2014, ISBN 9780199640300
13
Infra, Note 14.
14
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 25.
15
Id.
16
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Article 11.
17
Id. Para 1.
18
Id
relations between nations to promote trade practices in agricultural sector. 19 The covenant
seeks to promote import and export of food so that needs of all the nations are satisfied. 20
Another major international covenant is the Covenant on the Rights of Child which states that
it is the right of every child to have access to an adequate standard of living for his physical,
mental and holistic development.21 It addresses the issue of child malnutrition 22 and aims to
spread awareness on the importance of child nutrition and what active steps parents need to
undertake to ensure that standard.23 Nutrition of pregnant women and lactating mothers is
addresses by the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against
Women.24 In rural areas, living conditions and poor sanitary condition shapes the lives of
many families and under such standard of living, women suffer the most, as they not only
have to take care of themselves but they have to take care of their children as well. Financial
insecurity poses as a repercussion in their effort to do so. CEDAW endeavours to alleviate all
such problems faced by women and discusses nutrition of women.25

Let us withdraw our focus from food security for a while and ponder on food insecurity. The
problem of food insecurity majorly arises not because of insufficient food production but
because of inefficient food distribution measures. Food security stems from poverty rather
than scarcity.26 In this figure the causes of food security has been explained in detail.

19
B. Saul, Jacqueline M., D. Kinley, The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,
Commetary, Cases and Materials, Oxford University Press, 2014, ISBN 9780199640300.
20
Id.
21
Covenants on Rights of Child, Article 21(1).
22
Covenants on Rights of Child, Article 24(2) c.
23
Covenants on Rights of Child, Article 27(3).
24
Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women, Article 12.
25
Id.
26
Ranjana Ferraro, Food Security in India, Brazillian Journal of International Law, Volume 17, Issue 1, 2017.
Page 114 to 125.
 Food security Situation in India

India face a major problem of food security because of two prominent reasons. Firstly,
irregular rain pattern in India has affected the production adversely. 27 A year of drought can
severely affect the supplies of food and it is one of the major reasons of rising suicides of
famers who are unable to meet their ends. Secondly, the incessant ever growing population of
the country is growing at a pace that food scarcity has become inevitable. The rural
population of the country is in major grain and nutrition deficit. 28 In the urban areas as well,
unemployment and paucity of work attributes to rising hunger. The Bengal famine, first in the
country in the year 1770 effaced almost one-third population of Bengal. 29 After India got
independence, the Indian government set up the Food and Grain Commission which ensured
that adequate supply of food and agricultural products are present in the country and

27
Ranjana Ferraro, Food Security in India, Brazillian Journal of International Law, Volume 17, Issue 1, 2017.
Page 114 to 125
28
Id.
29
Pamara Roy, “Fable of Famines: Bengal, 1770 and 1943”, ORIAS Summer institute, 2014. Available at:
https://orias.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/2014-summary-roy.pdf
suggested imports.30 Food Corporation of India, a government body is responsible for
execution of all the food policies undertaken by the government. 31 Food Corporation buys the
surplus produce from all the states at a pre-determined price and then makes it available in
the states where there is deficit and then distribute the rest tot the poorer section of the society
through Public distribution schemes.32
Food Governance Policies in India
In the year 1970, the government of India to alleviate the problem of growing hunger and
poor nutrition introduced three schemes which is discussed further in detail of this paper. The
schemes were Public Distribution system, commonly known as PDS, Integrated Child
Development Services and Food for work. All the schemes are elaborated here below:

Public Distribution System

It evolved as a system of addressing the scarcity of food for the poor by distribution of food
at affordable prices. The central government take up the duty of storage and distribution. The
distribution executes through the help of Fair Price shops. 33 Even after introduction of PDF,
nation was not ready to face the blow when drought hit Rajasthan in the year 2001. 34 People
were dying of starvation and they started eating in rotation in order to survive. 35 Many
petitions were filed in the Supreme Court to draw the attention of the government. In the case
of People’s Union of Civil Liberties v Union of India36, the court directed the government to
distribute the food stored in government godowns and provided relief to the drought affected
regions of the state.37 The apex court reiterated the constitutional right to food and monitored
the food distribution with the help of commissioners.38

Integrated Child Development Scheme

30
Supra, Note 27.
31
Infra.
32
Surendra Kumar, Food Security and Public Distribution System in India: Role of Food Corporation of India,
Global Research analysis International, Vol 2, Issue 12. Dec 2013.
33
Reetika Khera, India’s Public Distribution System: Utilisation and Impact, The Journal of Development
Studies. Volume 47, Issue 7. Published in 2011.
34
Neelabh Mishra, Droughts and Death, Frontline: National magazine, Volume 18, issue 8. Published on April
27, 2001.
35
Id.
36
People’s Union of Civil Liberties v Union of India, Writ Petition (Civil) No.196 of 2001. See, Supreme
Court’s orders on Right to Food. Available at: http://www.corteidh.or.cr/tablas/27433.pdf
37
Id.
38
Id.
This scheme of the government focuses on children in the age group of 0-6 years though the
famous Anganwaadi system. It promoted the health and nutrition of infants and children so as
to efface the problem at the grass root level itself. The major set-back of this scheme was
insufficient number of Anganwadi centres across the country and to solve this issue, the
Supreme Court in the case of People’s Union Civil Liberties vs Union of India, laid down and
suggested the government to increase the number of Aanganwadi centres so that the objective
of the scheme is met.39 Further, the court said that the food should be distributed to pregnant
women, lactating mothers and children for about 300 days in a year and pressed for provision
of mid-day meals.

Food for Work

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment act was passed in the year 2005, the act was
introduced to provide 100 days of guaranteed work in the unskilled sector so that livelihood
of people in village areas could be brought up to a decent minimum. 40 This scheme of the
government was in furtherance of everyone’s right to have food. This scheme has been
successfully running in India and it has ensured employment to 1 in every 4 rural households
of the country.41

Monitor of the Indian Government

Section 22 of the National Food Security Act makes it mandatory for the central government
to allocate a portion of stock of food and grains to state according to need. 42 It is the duty of
the Central government to ensure transportation and storage of food is executed properly
without levying any inter-state taxes. They should facilitate it for the state government and
hence, they have set up an internal dispute mechanism. Under Section 15 of the Act, the state
government is bestowed with the duty of appointing an officer who would be designated as
district grievance redressal officer.43 A body called State food commission to be set up across
all the states of the country. 44 The Supreme Court in the case of Centre for Public Interest vs
Union of India45, held that the right to have food which are free of adulteration and harmful

39
People’s Union of Civil Liverties v Union of India. Writ Petition (Civil) No.196 of 2001
40
Rumela Ghosh, A Bird eye’s view into Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act,
presidency University, Kolkata. Published in December 2003.
41
Id.
42
National Food Security Act, 2013. Section 22.
43
National Food Security Act, 2013. Section 15.
44
National Food Security Act, 2013. Section 16.
45
Centre for Public Interest vs. Union of India.
products is a part of right to life and human dignity under Article 21 46 of the Constitution.47 A
government body known as Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has undertaken the
duty to monitor the markets. Later on, in the year 2006, National Food Safety and Standards
Act was passed according to which food security is defined as the food which is free and
devoid of any harmful substances and is fit for human use and consumption. This lays down
minimum standards of storage, quality and availability of food.

The Indian problem

Though the Indian legislatures have endeavoured to bring into force the best schemes across
the world to India but then also the government is unable to meet its target of feeding
everyone and efface the problem of hunger. National Food Security Act is successful to an
extent but there are certain underlying problems which are overlooked. Under the scheme of
that Act, the Central government has delegated the power of allocation of food to states
which at times becomes problematic because of conflict of centre with state or preference of
one state over the other. The benefit of targeted public distribution system is unable to meet
its target, food grains are not distributed in requisite quantity, ration shops aren’t monitored at
a level they should be and in the end all of it becomes contributory factors to the inefficiency.

Measures taken by nations

In the World Food Summit of 1996, it was discussed and highlighted that it is solely the
government of nations that are responsible for satisfying the food needs of their population.
Government apart from being responsible for the development of the nation economically,
has the primary responsibility of feeding and securing food for its citizens. Before getting
into the discussion of analysing how nations can hold hands together and overcome this
global issue, let us first draw our attention towards the major repercussions pertaining to food
security measures undertaken. The United Nations laid down the Millenium Development
Goal to eradicate hunger and poverty in the year 2000. 48 Let us understand the solutions to
this grave problem daunting the world.

Encouraging Governance of Food:

Nations can join hands and work on various issues in good faith but it is the governance at
national level that has to take efforts in eradicating this problem. Collaboration between
46
The Constitution of India, 1950. Article 21.
47
Id.
48
Millennium Development goal. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/hunger/
World bank, United nations, other international NGOs and institutions should be encouraged
who come together to address the problem of global poverty and hunger. The primary focus
would still be the governance at national level as no international institution can encroach
upon the national governance and it is the government of each nation which has to come to
toes to address food insecurity.

Promotion of Agricultural Research

Out of all the policies unveiled by the government of various nations, there is no investment
as promising as agricultural research to hook out global food insecurity. The example of
agriculture research using biotechnology in Africa is a paragon of how the famer research
programmes helped in feeding those in need.49 Biotechnology can help in diverse areas such
as nutrition enhancement, disease alleviation, new variety crops and these are just examples
giving the glimpse of how technology can bring a revolution for food security.

Prioritise Early Child Nutrition

International goal of eradication of hunger can be achieved only when there is early
intervention. Early child nutrition can prove to be pivotal to have a healthy and vibrant
society. The global community has been paying attention to child mental and physical
development programmes. In 2002, an initiative known as 1000 days was taken up which
highlights before the world the age from birth to 2 years is the most crucial time for
development of a child.50

Women Empowerment

Again, the issue of backlash suffered by women stems from national governance. According
to the Food and Agricultural organisation, worldwide, women grow more than 50% of the
food that is grown.”51 The dismal technical assistance that our women receive for agriculture
is discouraging considering the contribute a major chunk to the produce. All the nations need
to understand how empowering women can contribute to agricultural produce which in turn
can lead to solution of the problem of food insecurity. From economic and social

49
Jesse Machuka, Agricultural Biotechnology for Africa, African Scientists and Famers must feed their own
people, Plant Physiology. Published in 2001. Available at: http://www.plantphysiol.org/content/126/1/16
50
Thousand Days, Available at: https://thousanddays.org/. Last Accessed on: 8th Nov, 2011.
51
Food And Agriculture Organisation, Rural Women and Food Security
development perspective, the current level of food insecurity is morally unacceptable. 52 And
empowerment of women can contribute in agricultural produce as well as child nutrition.

Climate change and its impact on food security

The pace of growth of Global warming is making irreversible changes to the world that has
majorly impacted the agriculture sector. Climate change has significantly affected the food
security of nations and has majorly impacted developing nations. 53 Therefore, it is a dual
challenge, mitigating the problem of food security as well as constraining the ever growing
problem of climate change which directly impacts food security. Adequate nutrition is a far-
fetched hope for nations now and the environmental well- being is something towards which
everyone should draw their attention to.54

Conclusion

With increasing advancement and awareness in the world, the problem of food security has
been realised worldwide but complete effacement of it is still a far- fetched goal. Rapid
Climate change, rising temperature and incessant population growth are making ends meet
more difficult. Every child and person deserves to be fed and this has been understood as a
fundamental right across the nations. In this paper author has taken the example of India to
present the scenario prevalent in developing nations. There are international organisations
and institutions which are working in pursuance of moving the rock of hunger and poor
nutrition but any problem can be resolved only when nations act on their own, that is, they
improve the internal governance. In India, many schemes have been undertaken by the
government such as Public Distribution Scheme, Food for work and several other legislations
have also been enacted such as National Food Security Act but the problem still persists. The
problem is in way of state and centre conflict or food hoarding or inefficient distribution
measures. These problems persist in almost every developing nation across the globe and
hence in the last part of the project the author has highlighted on how these problems can be
solved. Early child nutrition, agrarian reforms and research, acting to slow down the climate
change, empowerment of women, all these are little steps the nations have to undertake

52
Matias E. Margulis, The Regime Complex for Food Security: Implication for the Global Hunger Challenge,
Global Governance, Vol. 19, page 53 to 67.
53
Infra
54
P.J Gregory, J.S Ingram, M. Brklachih, Climate Change and Food Security, Philosophical Transactions:
Biological Sciences Food Crops in a changing Climate. Vol. 360, No. 1463. Page 2139 to 2148.
together holding hand in hand. Then only, the long loved dream of feeding every individual
across the globe can be successful.