Scientist calls for multi-pronged approach to food security

The Food Security Bill passed by the Parliament recently requires a deep thought on how it will reach out, said CSIR’s Distinguished Scientist V Prakash, former director of country’s prestigious food research lab, Central Food Technological Research Institute.

While welcoming the passage of the bill, he said there were challenges and critical issues which need to be addressed, especially when one is looking at a large spectrum of the population who are beneficiaries of the bill.

Underlining capacity building for food and nutrition security for the success of the programme, he told Business Standard, “The question is how the health equity along with food security will improve with nutrition security built into it.”

“This is the time when micronutrients must also reach the population from a food-based approach. Perhaps, the primary infrastructure at the taluk level would make a lot of difference in the present e-monitoring of this very prestigious project which is timely.” Calling for a backup for such a “prestigious and needed programme” with high production and productivity of agricultural crops, Prakash, who is presently the Distinguished Scientist of CSIR-India in Biological Sciences at JSS Technical Institutions at Mysore, said, the growth and grain storage should not be just a few million tonnes but a 25-30 per cent increase that can make a perceptible difference.

This is where adaptable varieties, new areas to grow multiple crops, especially underutilised best nutritious crops, which are better suited to soil and weather, should result in a repeat of the Green Revolution. This would make the programme of food security sustainable.

Here, Prakash, who is also the Nutrition Society of India president, referred to BPL programme and ration distributed under it and said this is an important area that has to be looked at bearing in mind children of six months and up to three years old, under the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and a special schemes which are important from the nutrition point of view.

It is these that pave the way in building a healthy nation in the long run.

Along with this, prevention of losses of grains during harvesting, storage in the village, transportation and storage in godowns needs to be addressed. The large amount of saved grains can make a difference to the needy.

“The Food Security Bill is supposed to reach the lower economic strata of population for affordable food and better nutrition. However, there are issues and challenges and implementation problems that need to be addressed well in advance with Team India efforts. It is possible to make this a success beyond expectations provided all concerned join hands to make it a success as a single goal.”

“Food security is a programme which can make a difference, provided it is a “Multispectral Team India” approach of all Departments and Ministries, both as a Central and State agenda. With joint effort, it can be made to reach the length and breadth of the population for a “Less Hungry Healthy India,” Prakash reiterated.