A regional analysis of food security in Bundelkhand region (Uttar Pradesh, India)

Abstract

In the present study the authors have attempted to analyse the condition of food security in the Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh at district level. Bundelkhand region has been chosen as a unit of study because it is one of the poorest regions in comparison with western, central and eastern regions of the state and even after being in close proximity to heartland of green revolution (Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh) the region is still backward in agricultural development in India in general. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy and mostly dependent on monsoonal rainfall. The Bundelkhand is continuously facing drought since last few years and people are migrating for employment. Thus, there is an urgent need to look after the conditions of food security of the people living in this region. The standard statistical techniques have been used for the analysis of data. The study concludes that the condition of food security is unfavourable. Only one district of Jalaun has shown high food security. Majority of the districts are moderate and low food secure because of low food grain availability, low purchasing power of the people, etc. The irrigation facilities are also not well developed leading to low consumption of fertilizer and low productivity of crops. Employment rate, rate of urbanization, storage capacity and number of fair prices shops are also not satisfactory leading to pitiable food security condition in the study area.

Climate Change Impact: Food Production and Local Perception

“…Another study confirms that food production was decreased due to salinity and climate change [22]. Socio-economic factors affected in economy like age, sex, occupation, income level of the population; increasing demand of food grain product; rising price of food grains; low productivity of land, and low education level of farmers; and climate change and it variability [23].…”

Implications of Climatic and Non-climatic Variables on Food Security in Developing Economies: A Conceptual Review

“…It increases the working efficiency and productivity of peoples, and create horizontal pathway for economic development [26]. However, economic development and economic growth are essential to increase per capita income but development is unable to reduce food insecurity [27]. Hence, food security of population must be an issue of great importance of a country.…”

“…There are several factors that plays a significant role to sustain food security at individual/households/national/global level. Food security is significantly associated with age, sex, occupation, employment, vegetarian and non-vegetarian diet, poverty, per capita income, income inequalities, demand of food-grains, rapid population growth, fluctuation in food-grains and oil prices, poor market accessibility, low irrigation facilities, application of fertilizer, credit accessibility, cost of cultivation, application of traditional technologies in cultivation, literacy of farmers, declining land productivity and soil quality, decline in arable land due to urbanization and industrialization, diminishing ground water availability due to over exploitation of water, geographical location, government policies, government expenditure on agriculture and rural development, public spending on R&D, natural resource management and environmental protection policies, trade policies, and climate change [1,2,5,6,[8][9][10][11]27,[32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45]. As high income inequalities increase people's involvement in illegal activities outside the market which contribute political and social instability.…”

“…Adenegan KO et al [49], used food-deficit in per capita calories availability to ascertain the food security in Nigeria. Shakeel A et al [27], argued that food production availability reveals the food security of a region in specific time period, while food availability is a functionally linked with domestic agricultural production or through imports from surplus areas. However, food security is not only function of food availability and stability but depends upon food accessibility also [5,10,24].…”

“…However, food security is not only function of food availability and stability but depends upon food accessibility also [5,10,24]. Food stability and food accessibility would improve as increase in food availability [27]. It infers that all components of food security would be automatically adjusted as increase in food production [5,9,10,48].…”