Food Security in South Asia

Food security has been an important element in deciding on socio-economic development in the country. The World Food Summit, held in Rome in 1996, identified the need for improving food availability and nutrition in developing as well as the developed countries. The World Food Summit ? Five Years Later (WFS-fyl) Conference will be organised in Rome in June 2002 to take stock of changing trends and the possibility of attaining goals as identified at the World Food Summit. The preparatory process for WFS-fyl started early in 2001 and the whole year was basically spent on the preparatory process. It is in this regard that the preparations in India at the NGO level were also focused on various issues relating to Food Security in the country.
A Food and Nutrition Survey was carried and benchmarked against the survey conducted in 1992 to identify changes in food habits and nutrition level in the country. These results indicated a wide variation leading to obesity in one area and malnutrition in the other. It is concerning to note that in India in 2001 about 260 million people were below poverty line and about 180 million had some kind of malnutrition. The role of Panchayats in reaching out food to the poor in rural areas was considered an important element. This approach is ridden with various bottlenecks that need administrative, financial and social solutions.
The Public Distribution System in the country has been serving the needs in amicable fashion. However, rising food stocks with the Food Corporation of India has caused concern.
This book is a compilation of various papers discussed at national consultations in India and the NGOs/CSOs Regional Consultation for Asia Pacific Region during the year 2001.