Undernourished population in India declines by about 35% from 1990-92 to 2010-12

Around 217 million people are estimated to be undernourished in India in 2010-12 as against 240 million in 1990-92, while  about 868 million people across the world are undernourished in 2010-12 as against 1000 million in 1990-92

Highlights of the report on ‘The State of Food Insecurity in the World’ by Food and Agriculture Organisation, United Nations

Food Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) in its report titled “The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012” said that the proportion of undernourished population across the word has marked a decline of around 33%. The proportion of undernourished in total world population stands at 12.5% during 2010-12 as against 18.6% during 1990-1992. While for India , the proportion of undernourished population has marked a decline of around 35%.  The proportion of undernourished in India ’s total population stands at 17.5% during 2010-12 as against 26.9% during 1990-1992.

With almost 868 million people chronically undernourished in 2010–12, the number of hungry people in the world remains unacceptably high. The vast majority live in developing countries, where about 852 million people are estimated to be undernourished. Improved undernourishment from 1990, suggest that progress in reducing hunger has been more pronounced than previously believed. Most of the progress, however, was achieved before 2007–08. Since then, global progress in reducing hunger has slowed and levelled off.

In order for economic growth to enhance the nutrition of the neediest, the poor must participate in the growth process and its benefits. Growth needs to involve and reach the poor, the poor need to use the additional income for improving the quantity and quality of their diets and for improved health services and governments need to use additional public resources for public goods and services to benefit the poor and hungry.

Agricultural growth is particularly effective in reducing hunger and malnutrition-- Most of the extreme poor depend on agriculture and related activities for a significant part of their livelihoods. Agricultural growth involving smallholders, especially women, will be most effective in reducing extreme poverty and hunger when it increases returns to labour and generates employment for the poor.

Economic and agricultural growth should be nutrition-sensitive --Growth needs to result in better nutritional outcomes through enhanced opportunities for the poor to diversify their diets, improved access to safe drinking water and sanitation, improved access to health services, better consumer awareness regarding adequate nutrition and child care practices and targeted distribution of supplements in situations of acute micronutrient deficiencies. Good nutrition, in turn, is key to sustainable economic growth.

Social protection is crucial for accelerating hunger reduction—Social protection can protect the most vulnerable who have not benefited from economic growth and also properly structured, can contribute directly to more rapid economic growth through human resource development and strengthened ability of the poor, especially smallholders, to manage risks and adopt improved technologies with higher productivity.

Economic growth needs to be accompanied by purposeful and decisive public action to accelerate hunger reduction-- Public policies and programmes must create a conducive environment for pro-poor long-term economic growth. Key elements of enabling environments include provision of public goods and services for the development of the productive sectors, equitable access to resources by the poor, empowerment of women, and design and implementation of social protection systems. An improved governance system, based on transparency, participation, accountability, rule of law and human rights, is essential for the effectiveness of such policies and programmes.

Warm regards,

Dr. S P Sharma

Chief Economist

________________________________________________

PHD Research Bureau

PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry

August Kranti Marg, New Delhi – 110016

Tel 91 11 49545454, Fax 91 11 26855450,

E mail – research@phdcci.in

Website www.phdcci.in