NCERT Revision notes for class 9 Economics Food security in India

Food security

Food security means that proper and healthy food is available to all the people in a country. Three factors influence food security in any country:

1. Availability: It means that food is available to all the people in the country.
2. Affordability: This means that food is available at a price that every person can easily purchase it.
3. Accessibility: This means that the food available in the country is easily reachable to the people.

Need for food security

Food security is very essential in country because it ensures a regular supply of food grains in case of natural calamities and disasters. It also aims to provide food at a much lower rate to the poor people of the country.

Food insecure people

Landless people, traditional artisans, providers of traditional services, petty self-employed, workers SC, ST, and some sections of OBC are food insecure in India.

Hunger

Hunger is another factor that indicates food insecurity. There are two types of Hunger:

1. Chronic hunger:  This hunger is more common in people having low incomes because they cannot afford food all the time.
2. Seasonal hunger: This hunger is related to the production of crops. In case, if crop production in a year is less than the requirement, most people of the country may suffer from seasonal hunger.

Green revolution

The green revolution was started in 1960s in India that aimed to increase the production of wheat and rice by use of HYV seeds, fertilizers, machinery, and pesticides.

Food Corporation of India (FCI)

It is a government organisation that purchases surplus food grains from the farmer and stores them in granaries to be used in case of natural calamities or disaster when there is a shortage of food supply.

It also helps poor people to afford food grains at a much lower rate than the market price that ensures food security for every person in the country.

Minimum Support Price (MSP)

It is the price fixed by the Government of India before cropping season at which the Government will purchase the surplus grains from the farmers.

Issue price

It is the price at which Government supplies food grains to the poor people through dedicated ration shops. This price is less than the market price.

Fair price shop

These are the dedicated ration shops that operate under the Food Corporation of India and supply the food grains to poor people at a lower rate than the market price.

Public distribution system

The public Distribution system is a network of ration shops that provide food grains at a lower rate than the market price to the poor people of the society.

Role of cooperatives in food security

1. In Tamil Nadu, 94% of the fair-price shops are operated by cooperatives.
2. Mother Dairy has also made provision for providing milk and vegetables to consumers at an affordable rate.
3. Amul is also working as a Cooperative in milk and Milk products from Gujarat. It has also brought white revolution in India.
4. In Maharashtra, the Academy of Development science is working with the network of many NGOs that worked as a food grain Bank to ensure availability of food to the poor people in the country.

Related NCERT Revision notes

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• People as resource
• Poverty as a challenge