Question

Who consitutes an important segement of the food insecure population?

Answer 1

(i) Although a large section of people suffer from food and nutrition insecurity. In India, the worst affected groups are landless people with little or no land to depend upon, traditional services petty self employed workers and destitutes including beggars. In the urban areas, the food insecure families are those whose working members are generally employed in ill paid occupations and casual labour market. Rickshaw - puller. (ii) The Social composition along with the inability to buy food also plays a role in food insecurity. The SCs , STs and some sections of the OBCs, who have either poor land base or very low land productivity are prone to food insecurity. The people affected by natural disasters who have to migrate to other areas in search of work, are also among the most food insecure people. A large proportion of pregnant and nursing mothers and children's under the age of 5 years constitute an important segment of the food insecure population. (iii) The food insecure people are disproportionately scattered our large areas regions in the country.