While India continues to register impressive economic growth, it grapples with the mounting challenge of food-price inflation. This upward trajectory in food prices commenced its steep ascent in 2019 and has persistently climbed in subsequent years. As of July this year, annual inflation in India soared past 11%, marking the highest level in a decade. The enduring consequence of sustained high food-price inflation is the potential hardship faced by a segment of the population in securing access to adequately nutritious food.
Emerging evidence underscores this concern. The ‘State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’ report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has revealed disturbing statistics regarding the affordability of a healthy diet across various countries. The data, previously reported in this newspaper on August 31, 2023, presents a sobering picture for India in 2021—approximately 74% of the population cannot afford a healthy diet. With a population of 1.4 billion, this translates to roughly one billion Indians grappling with food insecurity.
This trend, indicating a diminishing capacity among households to finance their nutritional needs, is also substantiated by domestic studies conducted within India.