FAO Economist Urges India to Boost Food Production Diversity

Quick Summary

• Population and Diet: Approximately 40.4% of IndiaS population (60 crore people) are unable to afford a healthy meal, according to FAO Chief Economist Maximo Torero Cullen.
• Improvement in affordability: This is a meaningful decrease in comparison to FAO’s 2023 assessment showing 74.1% of the population unable to afford a healthy diet in 2021.
• Recommendations for India: Dr. Cullen emphasized the need for India to diversify food production, moving from cereals toward high-value commodities like pulses, fruits, and vegetables.
• Role in global hunger goals: He highlighted india’s crucial role in achieving global Enduring Growth Goals, especially zero hunger by 2030.
• Impact of Tariff Wars: Tariff-induced inefficiencies and uncertainties segment trade markets but have limited direct impact on food insecurity so far. However,inefficiencies could reduce resilience and affect farmers more closely tied to markets.
• COVID vs Ukraine impact on food security: COVID affected 180 million people globally compared to Ukraine’s impact on just 19 million. Gender disparity worsened during both crises due to wage inequalities and higher vulnerability among women.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The significant reduction from over 74% (2021) to around 40.4% (2024) of Indians unable to afford a healthy diet marks notable progress toward improving nutritional access but underscores ongoing challenges with affordability for nearly half the population. Dr. Cullen’s recommendations highlight profound opportunities for Indian policymakers-from diversification into higher-value crop production such as pulses or fruits-to ensuring greater economic access through targeted policy measures including tariff management.

India’s success here bears broader implications globally sence its large-scale efforts directly influence South Asia’s fight against hunger and the overarching UN goal of zero hunger by 2030. Investments in agricultural innovation paired with policies that reduce inequality-both gender-based wage gaps and regional disparities-are crucial next steps if this momentum is sustained without unintended segmentation effects caused by tariff wars or shifts post-COVID recovery.

For more: Access Full Article