Why Food Security? - Concepts - Chapter 4 Class 9 Economics - Food security in India - Economics

Why Food security?

• The poorest section of society might be food insecure most of the time while persons above the poverty line might also be food insecure when the country faces a national disaster/calamity like an earthquake, drought, flood, tsunami, or widespread failure of crops causing famine, etc.

How is food security affected during a calamity?

•  Due to a natural calamity, say drought, the total production of food grains decreases.
  
  
•  It creates a shortage of food in the affected areas.
  
  
•  Due to a shortage of food, the prices go up.
  
  
• At high prices, some people cannot afford to buy food.
  
  
• If such calamity happens in a very wide area or is stretched over a longer time period, it may cause a situation of starvation.
  
  
• Massive starvation might take turn into famine.
  
  
• The most devastating famine that occurred in India was the FAMINE OF BENGAL in 1943. This famine killed thirty lakh people in the province of Bengal.
  
  
• Food security is needed in a country to ensure the food at all times , including during calamities and pandemics.