Scribd
Upload
375 views3 pages

Causes of India's Food Problem

India faces a chronic food problem due to its large population and increasing food requirements. The food problem has quantitative, qualitative, distributive, and economic aspects. Quantitatively, food production has often failed to meet demand, requiring imports. Qualitatively, most Indians do not get sufficient nutrients in their diets. Distributively, ineffective distribution systems prevent many from accessing affordable food. Economically, low incomes limit purchasing power for nutritious food. Major causes include rapid population growth, low agricultural productivity, natural disasters, commercial crop prioritization, consumption pattern changes, and income-driven demand increases. The government has implemented various policies to address shortages since independence.

Uploaded by

shilpa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
375 views3 pages

Causes of India's Food Problem

India faces a chronic food problem due to its large population and increasing food requirements. The food problem has quantitative, qualitative, distributive, and economic aspects. Quantitatively, food production has often failed to meet demand, requiring imports. Qualitatively, most Indians do not get sufficient nutrients in their diets. Distributively, ineffective distribution systems prevent many from accessing affordable food. Economically, low incomes limit purchasing power for nutritious food. Major causes include rapid population growth, low agricultural productivity, natural disasters, commercial crop prioritization, consumption pattern changes, and income-driven demand increases. The government has implemented various policies to address shortages since independence.

Uploaded by

shilpa
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Nature and Causes of food problem in

India
Posted On : 20.02.2016 09:58 pm
India is the second most populated country of the world. Being so, food requirements of the country
are increasing day by day. Food problem in India covers four important aspects.

Food Problem in India

Food, clothing and shelter are the basic necessities of a person. Among these, food
is the first most important necessity. No one can survive without sufficient food. It
is a prime duty of every government to provide sufficient food to all the people of
a State. If a government fails to provide sufficient and nourishing food to her
people, she fails on all the economic social and political fronts. Therefore,
sufficient food should be provided to all the people of a State. Production of
foodgrains should be sufficient to meet their demand. If the production is less than
demand, the country will have to import food grains which will create the problem
of adverse balance of trade and balance of payments.

In India, food problem is a chronic problem. It dates back to 1937, the time of
separation of Burma from India and 1947, the time of partition. Unemployment has
further aggravated the problem.

Nature of food problem in India

India is the second most populated country of the world. Being so, food
requirements of the country are increasing day by day. Food problem in India
covers four important aspects.

Quantitative Aspects
Quantitative aspects of food problem are related to the demand and supply of food
grains. Production of foodgrains has been less than their demand for a long period.
Though in the last few years, domestic production of food grains has increased
considerably, yet the country has to import foodgrains in large quantities from time
to time.

[Link] Aspects

Qualitative aspect of food problem is related to nutritive elements in food.


Proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates etc. are the important elements of a
balanced diet but these elements are not available in sufficient quantities to most of
the Indian people. According to experts, a person should get 3,000 calories per day
but on an average 2100 calories are available to the people in India. Most
important reason of this situation is the poverty of most of the people in India.

Distributive Aspects

Distributive aspects of food problem are related to the system of marketing of


agricultural products. Due to defective system of distribution, most of the persons
do not get foodgrains in sufficient quantities, at right time, and at fair prices. Anti-
social elements create artificial shortage of these products in market and sell them
at unreasonable prices. Most important reason for this situation is administrative
sluggishness.

Economic Aspects

Economic aspects of food problem are related to purchasing power of people.


National income and per capita income of India are very low. The result is that
most of the people in India are not in a position to afford the purchase of
nourishing foodgrains in sufficient quantities.

Causes of food problem in India


Important causes of food problem in India are as follows:

Rapid growth of population.

Low agricultural productivity.

Natural calamities.

Development of commercial crops.

Changes in the consumption pattern.

Increase in income demand for food.

Economic development and urbanisation.

Hoarding and black marketing.


Food policy of Government of India Soon after independence, the government took
the problem of shortage of food grains seriously. Several important measures have
been taken by government to solve this problem.

You might also like