The politics of food for the hungry

"Policymakers talk of food security but are reluctant to give universal entitlements to eradicate hunger."

The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : The politics of food for the hungry: The solution for hunger lies in proper distribution of grain, and not in bringing technology as the Prime Minster avers when talking of GM crops. If this government cannot prevent the huge stocks from rotting by distributing food grain adequately and equitably, other questions remain mere rhetoric.


On the Genetically Modified (GM) crops, it represents a paradigm shift in agriculture, with the potential to affect the consumers (food safety) and farmers (livelihood) security. Bt cotton, the only commercially approved GM crop in the country, should ring alarm bells for policymakers obsessed with the idea of increased food production through GM technology. Data analysis shows productivity has not significantly increased, nor has pesticide use markedly decreased. But the costs have increased due to the appearance of new pests and others developing Bt resistance, higher water and fertilizer requirements, and no major benefit in the output. The main beneficiaries of this transfer to Bt Cotton seem to be multinational seed companies like Monsanto which have profited through patents and royalty!

The debates around the National Food Security Bill reveal the lack of political intent to use food stocks to help remove malnutrition and address inequity. While talking of food security (a much larger right than just PDS), policymakers are reluctant to grant universal entitlements of even food grain to eradicate hunger.

From food security to food justice

"A quarter of a million women in Kerala are showing us how to earn livelihoods with dignity."

The Indian elite shrieks at the prospect of formalising a universal right to food. Notwithstanding the collective moral deficit this reveals, it also shows that the millions of Indians whose food rights are so flagrantly violated are completely voiceless in the policy space. India's problem is not only to secure food, but to secure food justice. The Hindu : Opinion / Lead : From food security to food justice.

 The experiment, "Sangha Krishi" or group farming, is part of Kerala's anti-poverty programme "Kudumbashree", initiated as a means to enhance local food production. These collectives lease fallow land, rejuvenate it, farm it and then either sell the produce or use it for consumption, depending on the needs of members. It is not a mere ‘project' or a ‘programme' but a social space where marginalised women can collectively pursue their needs and aspirations.

Kudumbashree office-bearers are elected, a crucial process for its members. These elections bring women into politics. And they bring with them a different set of values that can change politics. These groups are linked to state at village level and thus ensures that local development reflects the needs and aspirations of communities, who are not reduced to mere 'executors' of government programmes.  It is transforming the socio-political space that women inhabit — who in turn transform that space in vital ways.

Is this a sustainable, replicable model of food security? It is certainly one worth serious analysis!