RIGHT TO FREE FOOD

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Picture Courtesy: https://www.fao.org/right-to-food/en/

Context:

World Food Day is observed on October 16 to highlight the global commitment to ensure food and nutritional security.

About World Food Day 2024 

World Food Day is celebrated every year on October 16th to mark the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 1945.

World Food Day was established in 1979 during the FAO's 20th General Conference. Since then, it has been celebrated in over 150 countries, making it a significant day on the UN calendar.

 Each year, World Food Day has a specific theme to emphasize different aspects of food security and agriculture. The theme of 2024 is "Right to Food for a Better Life and a Better Future."

About the Right to Free Food

The right to free food is an important part of the country's efforts to ensure food security and combat hunger. This right is mainly recognized through legal frameworks and policies, especially the National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013.  

Constitutional Basis

The right to food originates from the right to life outlined in Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty. The Supreme Court has interpreted this to include the right to live with dignity, which inherently involves the right to food.

Articles 39(a) and 47 underline the state's responsibility to provide adequate means of livelihood and improve the nutrition and living standards of its people. These provisions guide the government in implementing food security measures.

National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013

The NFSA aims to deliver subsidized food grains to about two-thirds of India's population; it ensures that the most vulnerable segments of society have access to food security.

The act covers up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population. Beneficiaries are entitled to receive 5 kilograms of food grains per person per month at highly subsidized prices—Rs 3 for rice, Rs 2 for wheat, and Rs 1 for coarse grains.

Pregnant women and nursing mothers are entitled to nutritious meals and a maternity benefit of at least ₹6,000.

Children aged 6 months to 14 years receive free meals through programs like the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) and the Mid-Day Meal (MDM) scheme.

Challenges

The NFSA is executed through the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), which is designed to provide food grains to eligible households. The system faces challenges, including inefficiencies, leakages, and corruption.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated challenges for migrant workers, they faced obstacles in accessing food rations due to insufficient documentation.

Large shares of food grains meant for distribution are lost due to corruption and leakage. The Public Distribution System (PDS) often fails to accurately target the most vulnerable populations, leading to exclusion errors.

Critics question whether providing free or highly subsidized food to such a vast portion of the population is economically sustainable. They suggest a more targeted approach focusing on the most vulnerable groups.

The implementation of the right-to-food initiatives is not satisfactory, problems such as inconsistent enforcement, poor infrastructure, and bureaucratic inefficiencies need urgent attention.

Despite the availability of food grains, malnutrition remains a critical issue, particularly among children and women. The PDS mainly allocates cereals, which lack vital nutrients like proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

Climate change impacts agricultural productivity, which affects food availability and prices, and the increased frequency of droughts, floods, and other extreme weather events will further disrupt food production and supply chains.

The financial burden of food and fertilizer subsidies is significant, which creates challenges for economic sustainability. Limited fiscal space restricts the government’s ability to expand and improve food security programs.

Way Forward

The implementation of the "One Nation, One Ration Card" scheme allows beneficiaries to access the Right to food from anywhere in the country. Continued efforts to digitize the PDS, cut down on leakages, and ensure that all eligible beneficiaries are covered will enhance the system's effectiveness.

Technological solutions like biometric authentication systems and digital ration cards can be adopted to eliminate corruption and leakage and to improve the targeting of beneficiaries to ensure that the most vulnerable populations —like children, pregnant women, and the elderly—are covered.

Government should include more nutritious food items such as pulses, fruits, and vegetables in the PDS, and Promote awareness about balanced diets and nutrition through community programs and school curricula.

Encourage climate-resilient agricultural practices to enhance productivity and reduce vulnerability, and need to ensure financial and technical support to farmers to encourage them to adopt these sustainable practices.

Reviewing and rationalizing subsidy policies to ensure economic sustainability while maintaining food security, and also strengthen social welfare policies to protect vulnerable populations from food insecurity.

Involve local communities in the planning and implementation of food security programs to ensure transparency and accountability in the distribution of food grains through community monitoring and social audits. 

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Food Security Act has revamped the Public Distribution System (PDS)

Source: 

Indian Express

NHRC

Wikipedia