Food is the third most essential element for human survival after air and water. Every nation has a responsibility to ensure the availability of diverse and nutritious food for all its citizens, coupled with proper nutrition, economic stability, and food security. Despite the world producing enough food to feed the global population, the cries of hunger persist. People are unable to afford healthy diets and are instead relying on cheaper, unhealthy alternatives. While various factors contribute to this, adverse weather conditions, conflicts, economic downturns, inequalities, and food waste are considered primary reasons.
According to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) 2025 report published by the United Nations, 8.2% of the global population, or approximately 673 million people, were suffering from chronic hunger in 2024. This number is projected to decrease to 512 million by 2030, with 60% of them potentially concentrated in Africa. Globally, 733 million people are facing hunger. This situation severely affects the poor and vulnerable populations. The right to adequate food is a fundamental human right for everyone. Over 2.8 billion people worldwide cannot access a healthy diet, which is a major cause of malnutrition. In light of this, every nation must strive to achieve goals such as increasing agricultural food production, ensuring food security for all, reducing malnutrition and the resulting deaths, and minimizing food waste. Non-governmental efforts in this direction should also be encouraged.
The Situation in Our Country :
As per the SOFI report, 172 million people in India are suffering from malnutrition. Although this is an improvement compared to 243 million in 2006, India still ranks 48th globally and 7th in Asia. 42.9% of the population cannot afford a healthy diet. The growing gap between food prices and purchasing power is the reason for this, indicating chronic food insecurity. Approximately 18.7% (around 21 million) of children are underweight. Furthermore, about 37.4 million children suffer from stunting (low height-for-age), which is an indicator of chronic malnutrition. Anemia affects 53.7% of women aged 15-49 years (around 203 million), placing India 4th in the world for this condition. Around 42.9% of Indians are still unable to buy healthy food with nutritional value.
While undernutrition is severe, the problem of overnutrition is also increasing. There are 4.2 million overweight children, a significant rise from 2.7 million in 2012. The number of obese adults has doubled in the last decade, now reaching 71.4 million. Stunting can hinder mental development and reduce educational performance. On the other hand, wasting (low weight-for-height) weakens the immune system and increases the severity of diseases, serving as an immediate indicator of severe acute malnutrition. Overweight is also a problem, as it increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, musculoskeletal disorders, and certain cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon). Low weight increases the risk of child mortality and slows down their growth and development.
Challenges in Our Country:
The lack of access to affordable, healthy food is widespread across India. Over 60% of the country’s population depends on agriculture for their livelihood, making the agricultural sector crucial for India’s economy and national food security. The sector faces challenges such as reduced agricultural productivity due to climate variability and decreasing arable land due to population growth. Despite producing about 100 million tonnes of rice every year, financial issues prevent many families, especially children, from accessing nutritious food. Malnutrition and food insecurity are concentrated in socially and economically disadvantaged groups, particularly in rural and tribal areas.
The root cause of the nutritional paradox in India is that despite being self-sufficient in food production, the majority of the population cannot afford healthy, nutrient-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, pulses, and dairy products. Due to poverty and income inequality, millions are forced to rely on cheaper, high-calorie staple foods such as rice and wheat. This leads to a deficiency of essential vitamins and minerals, resulting in a problem known as ‘Hidden Hunger’. Gender inequality, in particular, leads to discrimination in food distribution within the family, where women and girls often receive less or poorer quality food, damaging their health.
This can lead to intergenerational malnutrition. Furthermore, poor hygiene and sanitation cause frequent illnesses, preventing the body from properly absorbing nutrients from the food consumed. Additionally, government schemes like the Public Distribution System (PDS) often focus more on the quantity of food rather than its nutritional quality. In urban areas, the rise in ‘junk food’ consumption and lack of physical activity contribute to increasing obesity. This coexistence of undernutrition and obesity within the same country clearly illustrates the paradox.
Government Efforts and Schemes:
Schemes related to food and nutritional security are vital in India. The National Food Security Act (NFSA) is a key scheme, providing food grains like rice and wheat at highly subsidized rates through fair-price shops. This has been made a legal right, especially for the poor. The PM POSHAN Scheme (formerly Mid-Day Meal Scheme) aims to provide nutrition to children by offering free, hot cooked meals to all school-going children. The POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission) is a national mission specifically focused on reducing malnutrition and improving the health of children, pregnant women, and lactating mothers. These collective efforts represent the government’s attempt to ensure that no one goes hungry and everyone receives good nutrition.
Further Necessities:
To resolve the nutritional paradox India is facing—the simultaneous existence of undernutrition and obesity—comprehensive, multi-layered strategies are essential. The focus must shift from merely filling stomachs to prioritizing a balanced and diversified diet that includes fruits, vegetables, legumes, and dairy products. Deficiencies can be eliminated by fortifying food items with essential vitamins and minerals. Increased agricultural productivity and targeted interventions to reduce poverty and inequality are needed to make nutritious food accessible to everyone.
Expanding nutritional awareness and education is crucial. Furthermore, ensuring proper food quality through schools and government schemes, minimizing food waste, and improving coordination among different government departments are essential to address this complex problem. The agriculture sector needs increased funding and encouragement. Efforts should be made to ensure protein-rich foods like soybeans, pulses, meat, eggs, and dairy products are made available to all to effectively control protein deficiency. A law should also be introduced to curb food waste.
