The Dynamics and Inequality of Nutrient Consumption in India (original) (raw)

Wheat is one of the major staple foods of Indian population and holds a significant share in consumption basket (39-46% of total cereals) ensuring food and nutrition security. India is the second largest producer, next to China, with a marketed surplus : output ratio ranging from 53 to 85 per cent across states. The commodity has undergone rapid strides since the inception of All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) and has reached an all-time highest 101.2 million tonnes (mt) with a record productivity of 3424 kg/ha. The AICRP has led to several technological interventions and innovations including a varietal spectrum of 448 varieties which resulted in major quantum jump(s) from a mere 12.26 mt to a gargantuan output (101.2 mt) witnessing a 725.45 per cent growth in production, attributed to 275.05 per cent growth in productivity, followed by 120.23 per cent growth in crop acreage. The present paper highlights the decade wise national and the recent decade state wise production performance, assessing the associated growth, risk and inequality. Keeping in view of the growing demand owing to burgeoning population and other socioeconomic factors, the production target has been fixed at 140 million tonnes by 2050. The paper also highlights the production challenges followed by strategies/action plans to achieve the set target through a framework entailing potential innovations and interventions for sustainable wheat production as well as to achieve the food security.

This paper examines the linkages between calorie deprivation and poverty in rural India at a disaggregated level. It aims to explore the trends and pattern in levels of nutrient intake across social and economic groups. A spatial analysis at the state and NSS-region level unravels the spatial distribution of calorie deprivation in rural India. The gap between incidence of poverty and calorie deprivation has also been investigated. The paper also estimates the factors influencing calorie deprivation in rural India. The study point out that nutritional deprivation is high among marginalized social groups and regions. It is the poor, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, illiterate people, agricultural labourers and Muslims who are more likely to be calorie deprived.

This paper examines the linkages between calorie deprivation and poverty in rural India at a disaggregated level. It aims to explore the trends and pattern in levels of nutrient intake across social and economic groups. A spatial analysis at the state and NSS-region level unravels the spatial distribution of calorie deprivation in rural India. The gap between incidence of poverty and calorie deprivation has also been investigated. The paper also estimates the factors influencing calorie deprivation in rural India. The study point out that nutritional deprivation is high among marginalized social groups and regions. It is the poor, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, illiterate people, agricultural labourers and Muslims who are more likely to be calorie deprived.

Consumption is an important activity performed by the household sector. Post Globalisation has raised India's per capita income (expenditure) and that has significantly impacted its food consumption patterns by causing a change in the structure of food consumption baskets. The monthly per capita consumption expenditure (MPCE) on food items has declined from 72.83% to 52.76% and on non food items has increased from 27.15% to 47.24% in the rural India during 1972-73 to 2011-12. While in the urban India the expenditure on food items has decline from 64.45% to 42.46% whereas expenditure on non-food items has shown a steady increase from 35.55% to 57.54% during 1972-73 to 2011-12. Monthly per capita consumption of major cereals (in quantity k.g) has decreased in both rural and urban area in Maharashtra and India during 1972-73 to 2011-12. The volume of change in pre reform to post reform period in food items has declined from-13.76% in rural India and-22.34% in urban India, while in the non-food items has increased from 27.52% in rural India and 33.17% in urban India. The above discussion on consumption expenditure indicated that there is a significant difference in the pre and post reform period.

The rest of this report proceeds as follows. The next chapter provides a description of the data used and various adjustments done in the data. Chapters 3 and 4 report the results obtained. Chapter 3 first calculates the calorie requirements as well as intake. It then proceeds to calculate the number of calorie deficient households across rural and urban sectors as well as states. It also studies the distribution of such households and their expenditures. Chapter 4 discusses in greater detail other aspects related to calorie sufficiency. It studies the impact of PDS, calorie consumption due to various food commodities, as well as poverty incidence. Chapter 5 presents policy implications and concludes.