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Food Security in Chhattisgarh & Future Challenges

Article · June 2016

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 ISSN: 2347-7474
International Journal Advances in Social Science and Humanities
Available online at: www.ijassh.com

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Food Security in Chhattisgarh & Future Challenges

Suchita Tripathi*

Department of Anthropology & Tribal Development, GGV, Bilaspur (C.G.),India.

Abstract
The concept of Food security is not new. To overcome poverty, poor crop, climatic changes & decreasing
natural resources, the concept of food security was started all over the world to make every people able
to obtain enough, safe, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food for a healthy and productive life.
Food security is not only concerned with producing enough staple food but it also ensures the
functioning of the whole food value chain, including processing, storage, distribution, marketing,
consumption and waste management. The food security act started in Chhattisgarh as a hunger
support in the life of some vulnerable tribal groups is going to produce great challenges for survival of
future generations. The present study is an attempt to examine whether the Food security, is a solution
to free humanity from the scourge of hunger or this could leave future generations vulnerable to
greater food insecurity.

Keywords: Food Security, Food Security act & Challenges in Chhattisgarh.

Food Security in General & Particular in Chhattisgarh

Food security is a growing global concern
that will have direct impacts on the lives of
hundreds of millions, particularly in Asia.
Viewing food security as a ‘wicked problem’
is a positive step in acknowledging and
accepting both bio-physical (including water,
energy and phosphorous and climate) as well
as institutional and policy challenges [1].
Each day our world witnesses’ 800 million
people go hungry and 170 million children
under 5 years of age suffer from
malnourishment. This situation is a human
tragedy on a vast scale [2].
Household food security exists when all
members, at all times, have access to
enough food for an active, healthy life.
Individuals who are food secure do not live
in hunger or fear of starvation. Food
security is determined by food availability,
food access, and food use [3], while the four
determinants identified by FAO [4] are
availability, access, utilization, and
stability. United States Department of
Agriculture [5] states, Food insecurity as a
situation of limited or uncertain availability
of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or
limited or uncertain ability to acquire
acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.
Due to various risk factors like droughts,
shipping disruptions, fuel shortages,
economic instability and wars, Food
security incorporates a measure of
resilience to future unavailability of critical
food supply.
As noted by World Summit on Food Security
[6], that food should not be used as an
instrument for political and economic
pressure. Along with other local government
agencies, global partners, the G8 Countries,
an initiative has taken up by the
government of the United States to reduce
global hunger and to improve food security
condition in the world. “Feed the Future"
program is the result of this program.
A sustainable and equitable food system is
one of the major challenges of the 21st
century. Achievement of food security for
current generations is not easy, its path goes
through depletion of soil, loss of freshwater
resources, air pollution and reduction of
biodiversity. This could leave future
generations vulnerable to greater food
insecurity. The food system is not sufficient

Suchita Tripathi |June 2016 | Vol.4 | Issue 06 |05-08 5

 Available online at: www.ijassh.com
to current populations globally, still one
billion people are hungry.
The food security concept has progressively
encompasses food availability, utilization of
food, diet quality and food safety. Inspite of
enough food production by global food
system to meet the overall demand, resource
depletion, declining biodiversity, climate
change and adverse weather events, and
years of neglect of agriculture by investors,
decision-makers and research bodies
resulted in fragile food system. Increased
investment in agriculture and agriculture
research is necessary at national &
international levels. It is estimated that food
needed for the estimated 3 billion people can
be provided by increased efficiency in the
food chain, including recycling of waste from
the human food system to feed animals.
Such innovations would also reduce pressure
on biodiversity and water resources.
Culture, religion, and beliefs must be taken
into consideration as they have a strong
impact on food choices and For most people,
food-related activities (gardening, cooking,
eating) are their most immediate and
regular connection with the earth, making it
a significant vehicle for creating greater
environmental awareness. Food security and
climate change as ideas that challenge us to
think creatively and deeply about how we
want to live together on this finite planet.
Chhattisgarh is the one of the states having
highest shares of Scheduled Tribe (ST)
populations, accounting for about 10 per cent
of the STs in India except some North-
eastern states [7]. The tribals are an
important part of the state population and
mainly inhabit the dense forests of Bastar
and other districts of south Chhattisgarh.
Chhattisgarh State had scheduled tribal
population of 7822902 lakhs with a sharing
of 30.6 per cent in the State population i.e.
25545198 people according to census 2011
which was 31.76 per cent during 2001.
The State has 42 different Scheduled tribe
communities, of which seven communities
like Kamar, Abujmaria, Hill Korba, Birhor,
Baiga, Bharia & Sahariya are declared as
particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups of the
State. Chhattisgarh is the first state in
Suchita Tripathi |June 2016 | Vol.4 | Issue 06 |05-08
country that introduces the Food Security
Act in December 2012 for the poor and needy
families of state with chief objective to
eradicate malnutrition and food shortage &
to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals of UNO. Under the Food Security Act,
90 per cent population of Chhattisgarh is
benefitted. This Act has ensured 'right to
food' to all the poor and needy families of
Chhattisgarh. A monthly supply of 35 kgs of
rice at Rs 1/- and Rs 2/- only along with 2 kg
free of cost iodized salt, 2 kg grams at Rs 5/-
kg and 2 kg pulses at Rs 10/- kg to each
beneficiary family belonging to Antyodaya
category and BPL families, rehabilitated
bonded labourers, backward tribes, widow
etc. in scheduled & non-scheduled areas
respectively is provided [8]. New ration
cards issued in the name of senior-most
female member of the family is a noble
initiative towards women empowerment
considering them as the head of the family.
Nutrition Security along with Food Security
is another major plus point of Chhattisgarh
Act [8].
Paticularly Vulnerable Tribal groups like
Baigas, Birhors, Bharias, Pahadi Korbas,
Sahariyas nd Abhujmaria & Kamars are the
tribals living in poor socio-economic
conditions. Their economy is mostly hunting
gathering, food collecting etc. Most of them
like Baiga & Kamar are shifting cultivators.
Baiga don’t plough the land as they believe
that they can’t plough in the hearts of
Mother Earth. They practice ‘shifting
cultivation’ locally called as ‘Bewar’. Despite
banned by Indian Forest Act of 1927,
Shifting cultivation or Bewar continues to
play an important role in providing food
security to the Baiga tribals living in
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh. A Bewar
is comprised of mixed cultivation like millet,
corn, legumes, pulses in a single plot. Penda
grains like Kodo, kutki can be stored for 30
to 50 years without spoiling & it does not
needs an agricultural land.
Baiga tribals have quite a well-developed
system for rainfall prediction. In bewar
cultivation, sowing has to be done just before
the first gentle showers of early monsoon.
Tribals feel that bewar is vital for their
survival. They like to eat penda but not
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 Available online at: www.ijassh.com
paddy all the year. The reasons behind
turning of tribal farmers to Bewar & penda
cultivation are many. It prevents pest
attacks, are less laborious, involve no cost or
loan, give an assured crop and the yield is
more nutritious and varied food than
conventional cultivation. Erratic rainfall and
extreme weather leading huge crop losses in
conventional cultivation of paddy, soybean
and the high cost of labour and inputs are
the other causes behind returning of farmers
to these methods. This would be solution for
food security for the forest-dwelling poor of
central India. Birhors are also one of the
PTG group of Chhattisgarh. They are mostly
hunting gathering nomadic tribes, but
nowadays they are living settled life. Their
economy is mostly based on basketry, rope
making, poultry farming, fishing etc [7].
Some of them also do cultivation but once a
time in year during rainy season. Due to
this, they are very poor and have no surplus
grains to eat. They have to depend on dried
Mahua flowers which they eat when they
have no food. The same condition is of other
scheduled tribes & PVTGs groups. In such
cases, at one side their own conditions make
them to adapt to their environment and they
produce or collect some grains or fruits &
flowers that helps them in Food security
while on the other side government help
them by providing grains like rice, pulses
etc. to make them able to eat enough &
nutritious food [9-22].
Conclusion
The question arises how long government
could provide food to these tribals & poor
people, when they themselves are not
involved in crop production. Large scale
agriculture & crop production is very
important to satisfy the food needs of every
people including tribals. Other challenges
before government for increasing food
production are weed control, insects, pest
control & control of plant diseases. The
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Suchita Tripathi |June 2016 | Vol.4 | Issue 06 |05-08
factors like Globalisation, increased
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