Global Report on the Food Crises (GRFC) 2023

Context: The Global Report on the Food Crises (GRFC) 2023 released recently estimated that between 691 million and 783 million people in the world suffered from hunger in 2022.

About the Report

• Published by the Food Security Information Network (FSIN) in support of the Global Network against Food Crises (GNAFC), the GRFC is the reference document on global, regional and country-level acute food insecurity in 2022.
• It provides analysis of the key drivers of acute food insecurity in food-crisis contexts and presents an overview of food-crisis trends since 2016.
• The GRFC 2023 is the result of a collaborative effort among 16 partners to achieve a joint consensus-based assessment of acute food insecurity in countries with food crises.
• The report aims to inform humanitarian and development action by providing the global and national food security community with independent and consensus-based evidence and analysis.

Key Findings of the Report

• Hunger levels:
  • Hunger is no longer increasing at a global level, but it remains far above pre-COVID pandemic levels.
  • The world is still off track towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2, which aims for Zero Hunger.
• Food insecurity:
  • New estimates of the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES) show that in 2022, no progress was made on food insecurity globally.
  • The global prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity remained unchanged for the second consecutive year, with an estimated 2.4 billion people lacking access to adequate food.
  • This is 391 million more people than in 2019.
• Prevalence of undernourishment:
  • Global hunger, as measured by the prevalence of undernourishment, remained relatively unchanged from 2021 to 2022 but is still significantly higher than pre-COVID-19 levels.
  • Around 9.2% of the world’s population was affected by undernourishment in 2022, compared to 7.9% in 2019.
• Child malnutrition:
  • Stunting, which is being too short for one’s age, among children under five years of age, has declined steadily from 204.2 million in 2000 to 148.1 million in 2022.
  • Child wasting, caused by insufficient nutrient intake or absorption, also declined from 54.1 million in 2000 to 45 million in 2022.
  • However, the number of children who are overweight or obese increased slightly from 33 million in 2000 to 37 million in 2022.
• Affordability of healthy diets:
  • The report reveals that almost 3.2 billion people worldwide could not afford a healthy diet in 2020, although there was a slight improvement in 2021.
  • The cost of a healthy diet increased globally by 6.7% between 2019 and 2021.
  • It projects that almost 600 million people will be chronically undernourished in 2030.
• Key drivers of food insecurity:
  • The report identifies various reasons responsible for food insecurity, including pandemic-related disruptions in 2020 due to lockdowns and economic downturns, conflicts like the Ukraine war, governmental policies, and the impact of urbanization on food systems.
• Solutions:
  • Supporting Healthier Food Outlets: The report emphasizes the importance of policy incentives to encourage shops to sell fresh and minimally processed foods. Making healthy diets more accessible, this measure can positively impact food security.
  • Addressing Street Food Safety: Street foods, consumed by approximately 2.5 billion people worldwide daily, play a significant role in food consumption. Improving infrastructure and regulations surrounding street food will enhance nutritional safety and quality.
  • Building Rural Infrastructure: Investments in rural infrastructure, such as quality rural roads and linkages to main networks, can improve connectivity for small farms and enterprises, bolstering food production and distribution.
  • Empowering Local Governments: Local governments play a crucial role in implementing policies that ensure healthy diets are available and affordable for all. Their active involvement can lead to effective multilevel and multi-stakeholder mechanisms.

Understanding Food Security

• Food security is defined (from the World Food Summit of 1996) thus: “When all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active, and healthy life”.
• It includes the following dimensions:
  • Availability: It means food production within the country, food imports and the stock stored in government granaries.
  • Accessibility: It means food is within reach of every person without any discrimination.
  • Affordability: It implies that having enough money to buy sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet one’s dietary needs.

Framework for Food Security in India

India ranked 107 among the 121 countries on the Global Hunger Index 2022 and according to FAO, the Food Price Index has increased by 30% in the year 2021-22.

• Constitutional Provision: While the Indian Constitution does not explicitly mention the right to food, Article 21, which enshrines the fundamental right to life, can be interpreted to include the right to live with human dignity, encompassing access to food and other basic necessities.
• Buffer Stock: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) plays a crucial role in food security by procuring food grains at minimum support prices (MSP) and storing them in warehouses across the country. The food grains are then supplied to state governments based on their requirements.
• Public Distribution System (PDS): The PDS has evolved into a significant aspect of the government’s food economy management.
  • Currently, essential commodities like wheat, rice, sugar, and kerosene are allocated to states/union territories (UTs) for distribution through the PDS.
  • Some states also distribute additional items like pulses, edible oils, iodized salt, and spices through the PDS outlets.

Government Schemes on Food Security

1. National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013

• Launch: The Union government has notified the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 on 10th September 2013.
• Objective: To provide for food and nutritional security in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity.
• Implementing agency: The Act provides for State Food Commission (SFC) in every State/UT, for the purpose of monitoring and review of implementation of the Act.
• Salient features of the NFAS, 2013:

1. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY)

• Launch: It is a food security welfare scheme announced by the Government of India in March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in India.
  • It was announced as a part of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, which is a comprehensive relief package of Rs 1.70 Lakh Crore for the poor to help them fight the battle against Coronavirus.
• Implementing agency: The program is operated by the Department of Food and Public Distribution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
• Objective: It is aimed at providing free food grains — 5 kg per person per month — to eligible beneficiaries of the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013. This is over and above their monthly entitlement under the NFSA.
• How is the PM-GKAY different from the NFSA?
  • The NFSA is a right-based scheme under a law of Parliament, while the PM-GKAY is a scheme announced by the executive as a top-up to the entitlements under the NFSA.
  • The PM-GKAY provides additional benefits to NFSA beneficiaries but does not cover additional beneficiaries beyond the accepted limit of 81.35 crore persons under the NFSA.

1. Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana: This scheme focuses on generating employment opportunities and promoting self-reliance among the workforce, indirectly impacting food security.
2. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi: This program provides income support to small and marginal farmers, contributing to their economic well-being and food security.
3. Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0 Scheme: This initiative aims to boost vaccination rates among children and pregnant women, indirectly impacting child nutrition and health.

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