Food Insecurity Essay

Food, along with shelter & clothing, has always been considered as a basic need for life. Food insecurity has been defined as “the limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways” (Andersen, 1990).

Food insecurity is a phenomenon that is widespread in India. While India is self-reliant in terms of cereals but there is a deficit in production of pulses and oilseeds in the country. Alterations in consumption patterns have led to an increase in the demand for fruits, vegetables, dairy, meat, poultry, and fisheries. The malnutrition problem in India is more extensive than that of access to food and the malnutrition levels here are almost double of those of many African countries. The resolution of this issue requires a multi-pronged approach covering diet modification including micronutrients, women’s empowerment, education, health, safe

The one asset food insecurity is most intricately linked to, is land. In India, the patriarchal structure prevalent in a majority of the states, including Uttar Pradesh, does not see women as worthy land owners. The prevalent assumption is that male access to land within the household renders the household less susceptible to poverty by some average measure, and automatically provides this protection to all its members, especially the female members. Although the land laws have empowered women substantially in recent years, but even today most married women toil on a piece land that is in the name of their husband. Parents consider dowry (given to the groom’s family) or ‘Stridhan’ (given to the daughter herself) accorded during the daughter’s marriage as her rightful share of inheritance. In Uttar Pradesh, this does not include