Path to Ending Global Hunger Runs Through India

Syllabus: GS2/Issues Relating To Hunger

Context

• India has emerged as a pivotal force in driving global progress, as the world begins to turn a corner in its fight against hunger.
  • India’s progress is credited to India’s transformative approach to food security.

Global Hunger Trends

• According to the United Nations’ State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025 report, 673 million people faced hunger in 2024 (688 million in 2023).
  • Hunger continues to rise in Africa and Western Asia, with over 20% of Africa’s population affected.
  • If current trends persist, 512 million people could still face hunger by 2030, nearly 60% in Africa.
• Food Insecurity and Diet Affordability: 2.3 billion people experienced moderate or severe food insecurity in 2024 – 336 million more than in 2019.
  • 2.6 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2024, with affordability worsening in low-income countries (excluding India).
  • Food price inflation remains a major barrier, peaking at 13.6% globally in January 2023 and up to 30% in low-income countries.
• Child and Maternal Nutrition:
  • Stunting among children fell to 23.2% in 2024, down from 180 million in 2012 to 150.2 million.
  • Wasting (6.6%) and overweight (5.5%) rates among children remain largely unchanged.
  • Exclusive breastfeeding rose from 37% (2012) to 47.8% (2023) — a significant improvement.
  • Only 34% of children aged 6–23 months meet minimum dietary diversity; 65% of women aged 15–49 meet the minimum.
  • Anaemia among women increased from 27.6% to 30.7% between 2012 and 2023.
• India & Global Food Security Report (2025): India stands out for reducing undernourishment from 14.3% (2020–22) to 12% (2022–24) — a drop of nearly 30 million people, while global hunger remains high.
  • India’s progress helped offset rising hunger in Africa and Western Asia.

Concerns & Challenges

• Rising Nutrition Challenges: High prices of nutrient-rich foods and poor cold-chain infrastructure hinder access.
  • Over 60% of Indians still cannot afford a healthy diet.
  • Nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, pulses, and animal products remain too expensive for low-income families
• Child and Maternal Nutrition: India contributed to global gains in exclusive breastfeeding, which rose from 37% (2012) to 47.8% (2023).
  • However, anaemia among women increased from 27.6% to 30.7%, and dietary diversity for children remains low.
• Weak Post-Harvest Infrastructure: India loses up to 13% of food between farm and market due to poor logistics.
  • Lack of cold storage, inefficient supply chains, and outdated transport systems lead to spoilage and reduced availability.
• Rising Malnutrition and Micronutrient Deficiencies: Even as hunger declines, malnutrition, obesity, and hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiencies) are on the rise.
  • These issues are especially prevalent among urban poor and rural communities.
• Low Agricultural Productivity: Despite being one of the largest food producers, India struggles with low yields due to:
  • Fragmented land holdings;
  • Limited access to modern farming techniques;
  • Climate variability and erratic weather patterns.
• Limited Nutrition Education and Awareness: Many families lack knowledge about balanced diets and nutritional needs, especially for children and pregnant women.
• Policy and Governance Gaps: While digital reforms have improved food distribution, coordination across states, data accuracy, and last-mile delivery still need strengthening.
  • Migrant populations and informal workers often fall through the cracks.

India’s Policy Reform & Innovation

• Revamping the Public Distribution System (PDS):
  • Digitalization: Aadhaar-enabled targeting, biometric authentication, and real-time inventory tracking improve efficiency and reduce leakage.
  • One Nation One Ration Card: Makes food entitlements portable across states, helping migrant workers access subsidized food anywhere in India.
• Nutrition-Focused Social Programs:
  • PM POSHAN (School Feeding Scheme): Now emphasizes dietary diversity and nutrition sensitivity, aiming to improve child development outcomes.
  • Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS): Targets early childhood nutrition through fortified meals and health monitoring.
  • POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission): Focuses on reducing stunting, anemia, and low birth weight among children and mothers.
• Boosting Agricultural Productivity:
  • National Food Security Mission: Promotes crop diversification, improved seeds, and sustainable farming practices to increase yields of rice, wheat, and pulses.
  • Agro-climatic planning: Tailors interventions to local conditions for better results.
• Food Fortification and Biofortified Crops:
  • Zero Hunger Programme: Develops biofortified plants and promotes genetic gardens to improve micronutrient intake.
  • Fortification of staples like rice, wheat, and oil with iron, folic acid, and vitamin A is being scaled up.
• Nutrition Education and Behavior Change:
  • Campaigns like Eat Right India encourage healthier food choices and hygiene practices.
  • Community health workers and school programs are being trained to spread awareness about balanced diets.
• Improving Cold Chains and Market Linkages: Investments in post-harvest infrastructure, such as cold storage and digital logistics, aim to reduce food loss and improve access to perishable, nutrient-rich foods.
• Transforming the Agrifood System:
  • Boosting production of nutrient-rich foods like pulses, vegetables, fruits, and animal products.
  • Investing in post-harvest infrastructure (cold storage, logistics) to cut the 13% food loss between farm and market.
  • Supporting women-led enterprises and FPOs cultivating climate-resilient crops.
  • Leveraging digital tools such as AgriStack, e-NAM, and geospatial platforms to improve market access and agricultural planning.

Conclusion

• With five years left to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals – especially SDG 2: Zero Hunger – India’s example offers hope.
• It has demonstrated that hunger reduction is possible when backed by political will, smart investment, and inclusive policies.

Source: TH