[Reader-list] RTF (Right to Food) Articles - 10
Rakesh Iyer
rakesh.rnbdj at gmail.com
Mon Aug 10 18:09:26 IST 2009
Dear all
I am sorry for having not posted any articles for the past 3 days, but it
was because of disconnections of the LAN (includes the Net as well) from my
hostel as well as some others, due to which I was unable to do so. Hoping to
ensure such delays don't occur in future.
Special thanks to Aashish for having posted the article from Hindustan Times
on the list. For the rest of you, you would be glad to know that Aashish has
done summer internship (grass-root work in villages on NREGA) under Jean
Dreze, one of the leading development economists of the country. Dreze is
known for his books on the subject, some of which are written with the only
Indian economist to win the Nobel Prize, Amartya Sen. Dreze is also one of
the leading voices in the Right to Food Campaign, and can be credited with
having written the entire NREGA for the UPA govt.
Regards
Rakesh
Article:
Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 27, 2003 Group Publications Business Line The Sportstar Frontline
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* Count down from 2007 *
One of the messages of global agriculture is that while the world's
population will be better fed by 2030, millions of people in developing
countries will remain chronically hungry. Noted agriculture scientist Dr.
M.S. SWAMINATHAN outlines a 12-point plan to achieve the goal of a
hunger-free India.
* There must be action to permanently remove the root causes of food crises.
*
DURING the last three years, scientists of the M.S. Swaminathan Research
Foundation at Chennai and of the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP), New Delhi,
have been working together on the causes of food insecurity in rural and
urban India using multiple indicators relating to food availability, access
and absorption in the body. The Food Insecurity Atlases of Rural and Urban
India provide valuable guidelines for public action to end chronic under-and
mal-nutrition in the different States. Using these guidelines, an action
plan was developed at a multi-stakeholder consultation held at New Delhi
between April 4 and 5, 2003, under the joint auspices of the MSSRF, the WFP
and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Releasing the Food Insecurity Atlas of Rural India on April 24, 2001, the
Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, called for concerted action to achieve
substantial freedom from hunger by August 15, 2007, which marks the 60th
anniversary of independence, thereby helping to fulfil the hope of Mahatma
Gandhi that no child, woman or man should go to bed hungry in independent
India. To quote Mr. Vajpayee:
"The sacred mission of a `Hunger Free India' needs the cooperative efforts
of the Central and State Governments, local self-government bodies,
non-governmental organisations, international agencies and above all, our
citizens. We can indeed banish hunger from our country in a short time. Let
us resolve today to make this mission substantially successful by 2007,
which will mark the sixtieth anniversary of our independence."
*The Challenge: *
* *The quantitative and qualitative dimensions of the challenge of achieving
a hunger-free India are daunting. The incidence of poverty, endemic hunger,
communicable diseases, infant and maternal mortality rates, low birth weight
children and stunting and illiteracy is high. There are however many
examples where progress in the elimination of poverty-induced hunger has
been rapid because of a symphony approach in dealing with the
multi-dimensional problem of hunger and malnutrition. Successful experiences
in the elimination of hunger and poverty have shown that synergy between
political will and action and strategic partnerships can help local
communities to achieve seemingly impossible tasks. Such *"messages and
methods of hope"* should therefore be documented and spread widely, since
they not only inspire confidence that the goal of a hunger-free India can be
achieved, but will also help to build the self-confidence of all engaged in
the mission of overcoming under-and mal-nutrition.
*Basic Approach: Food with Human Dignity *
* *Food with Human Dignity should be the basic approach. The poor should not
be subjected to a patronage approach and referred to as "beneficiaries" but
should be treated as partners in achieving the aim of ensuring that every
child, woman and man in the country has an opportunity for a productive and
healthy life. The right to adequate food and clean drinking water should be
regarded as a basic right.
*Thrust of the Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-2007): *
* *The Tenth Five Year Plan has shifted the emphasis from food security at
the household level to nutrition security at the level of each individual.
Emphasis has been placed on employment, education, health and nutrition,
which are all important for poverty eradication and hunger elimination. The
inter-sectoral nature of chronic hunger has been recognised. By shifting the
attention to individuals, the strategies adopted will be based on the
principle of *social inclusion *and will help to foster a life cycle
approach in nutrition interventions. For example, pregnant women will need
special attention, since maternal and foetal under nutrition leads to the
birth of babies characterised by a weight of less than 2.5 kg at the time of
delivery. Such low birth weight (LBW) children suffer several handicaps in
later life and may not be able to express their innate genetic potential for
mental and physical development. Such inequity at birth is inexcusable since
we are now entering a knowledge based economy. Similarly, the elderly and
the infirm need special attention. Thanks to advances in preventive and
curative medicine, we are now adding years to life. However, we should pay
equal attention to adding life to years through nutrition and health care.
We should recognise that we are now entering a new chapter in human
longevity. There is, therefore, need for a proper match between nutrition
requirements and nutrition support at different stages in the life of an
individual.
* FOOD INSECURITY ATLAS OF RURAL INDIA/PUBLISHED BY MSSRF and WFP, 2001 *
Hunger is the extreme manifestation of poverty, since the poor spend a high
proportion of their earning on food. The elimination of hunger is thus the
first requisite for eradicating poverty. Without adequate nutrition, the
energy needed for higher work output will not exist in malnourished
individuals.
*Guiding Principles for Converting Goals into Accomplishments: *
* *
*Decentralisation: *
* *
The desired goal can be achieved speedily and surely only if a decentralised
approach to implementation is adopted. *"Think, plan and act locally and
support at the State and national levels"* should be the motto. Elected
local bodies, together with the departments of Government (Health,
education, women and child welfare, rural and tribal development, etc.)
concerned should prepare *Micro-level **Action Plans*. They should form a
local level *"Alliance for a healthy and productive life for all"*. Elected
members of local bodies, particularly the one million elected women members
can be empowered to spearhead the freedom from hunger movement, since they
are more aware of the problems of nutrition and drinking water.
Decentralisation will enhance accountability, reduce transaction costs and
remove corruption in delivery systems.
*Life-cycle Approach: *
* *
For ensuring nutrition security at the level of each individual, a
life-cycle approach is necessary so that the nutrition needs of an
individual can be met from birth to death. Special programmes for adolescent
girls, pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants (0-2 years) and the elderly
and the infirm should continue. What is needed is the horizontal integration
of numerous vertically structured programmes. Such a functional integration
will help to create a symphony at the level of each village/town/city to
ensure that all links in the food availability-access-absorption chain
function at a high level of efficiency and effectiveness. Management tools
and not additional monetary support will be needed to bring about at the
field level such convergence and synergy among ongoing programmes.
* Information, education and communication: *
* *
There is need for launching a Nutritional Literacy movement to spread an
awareness of the adverse consequences of malnutrition induced intellectual
and physical dwarfism among children. The Nutritional Literacy movement
should include issues relating to food safety, *codex alimentarius *standards,
sanitary and phytosanitary measures, etc. The mass media, particularly those
in the public sector like Doordarshan and All India Radio can play a very
important role in making the Hunger-free India movement a success. Community
Radio stations, giving location-specific information, should be encouraged
to assist other mass media in spreading messages of hope. It will be useful
to set up *M**edia Resource Centres for a Hunger-free India*. Such centres
can provide credible and timely information to the print, audio, video and
new (i.e. internet) media.
*Household Entitlement card: *
* *
It will be useful to provide every family with an *E**ntitlement Card*,
giving information on the various government projects which they can access.
The information may be disaggregated by gender, age, religion, caste and
class, and precise addresses of contact persons and offices may be given.
Such information will enable everyone to make the best use of their
entitlements. A single step of this kind will help enormously to ensure the
effective utilisation of all the schemes of central and State governments
and bilateral and multilateral donors.
*Asset Building and Community Development: *
* *
The poor are poor because they have no assets like land, livestock or a fish
pond. They often are illiterate and lack proper dwelling units. They survive
on wage employment, which, particularly in the case of women, does not reach
the level of even the prescribed minimum wage. A massive effort is needed to
help them to shift from unskilled to skilled work through training in
market-driven skills. The on-going micro-finance led self-help revolution
will be the fastest way to help them to rise above the poverty level. This
will call for establishing effective forward and backward linkages,
particularly with technology sources and markets. Insurance and Venture
Capital support should also be available to micro-enterprises. We have now
an opportunity to leapfrog in achieving our goal of enabling every one to
earn his/her daily bread.
*Capacity Building: *
* *
Since a decentralised approach involving the empowerment of over three
million women and men members of local bodies holds the key to the success
of this national movement for food and clean drinking water for all, it is
essential that a national consortium of Agricultural, Rural and Womens'
Universities as well as government and non-governmental training and
research institutions is formed for undertaking capacity building in areas
such as management, communication and organisational skills with reference
to the implementation of the hunger-free area programme. The capacity
building programmes can be organised on a *T**rainers' Training model*, in
order to achieve a multiplier effect.
*Initiation of a National Food for Social Capital Programme: *
* *The social capital of a country is the product of interaction between the
human capital and the cultural, political, economic, nutritional and natural
environments. Human and social capitals constitute the most precious wealth
of a nation. Mahatma Gandhi and Vinobha Bhave advocated the principles of *
antyodaya* and *sarvodaya* for achieving high social synergy and capital. A
society committed to building its social capital will try to promote
programmes which represent a "win-win" situation for all, thereby avoiding
winners and losers and the consequent social conflict and disruption. During
the last few years, the Government of India as well as some State
Governments have initiated many programmes like *"Sampoorn Gramin Rozgar
Yojana", "Annapoorna", "Antyodaya Anna Yojana", "Universal Noon-meal
Programme for School Children",* etc. It is now clear that our farmers will
produce more if we can enhance consumption and thereby opportunities for
assured and remunerative marketing. Therefore, the initiation of a National
Food Guarantee Scheme will help to ensure that all who are hungry today due
to a lack of livelihood opportunities or other constraints are able to have
food for a productive life. Such a National Food Guarantee Scheme can serve
as an umbrella for all ongoing projects like those mentioned earlier. In
addition, it can provide food grains for initiating a *Nagarpalika Rozgar
Yojana *as well as for a wide variety of social support initiatives like
Food for Health (TB, HIV/AIDS, malaria etc.,), Food for those employed in
ICDS, nutritious noon meal and other similar projects. *In other words, food
can become a powerful currency for achieving the goal of a hunger-free
India.* Using food as a currency has twin advantages, namely, there could be
greater off-take of food grains from farmers, thereby providing them with an
incentive to produce more, and secondly for meeting the immediate needs of
the poor, destitutes, migrant labour and all who are under nourished today.
The Urban Food Insecurity Atlas released by the President in October 2002
clearly brings out the urgent need for attending to the hunger problems of
the bottom 10 per cent of the poor (ultra-poor) in towns and cities.
*Therefore,
the setting up of an umbrella programme combining the principles of the
Employment Guarantee Scheme of Maharashtra and of various Food for Work
Programmes under a National Food for Social Capital Programme will be
timely.* This could serve as the hub of a series of activities. It can start
with a total allocation of 15 to 20 million tonnes of food grains during
2003-04. Such a block grant of food grains can be managed by a
*M**alnutrition-free
India Trust*, headed by the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission. The
trust can sanction small projects to meet specific local requirements as
well as to fill gaps in the ongoing programmes. At least five million tonnes
of grain should be available to support local level Community Food Banks in
"hunger and hydrologic hot spot" areas and specific programmes designed to
improve maternal and foetal nutrition as well as to provide nutrition
support to those affected by TB, leprosy and other diseases. Such a Food
Guarantee Initiative will be psychologically an important index of the
capability of farmers to produce more on the one hand, and the political
commitment to achieve the Prime Minister's goal of a hunger-free India by
August 15, 2007, on the other.
*Monitoring and Evaluation:*
This could be done at various levels starting with Gram Sabha and citizens
groups (like the Right to Food Group) government agencies and research
institutions. An effective and transparent monitoring system will also help
to ensure the implementation of the directives of the Supreme Court.
*Consultative Group for Freedom from Hunger: *
* *
*
The elimination of hunger is the first requisite for alieviating poverty. *
* *
* *Both at the national and State levels, multi-stakeholder Consultative
groups for "Agenda 2007: Hunger-free India" could be organised comprising
representatives of the ministries and departments concerned, professional
experts, the National Commission for Women, civil society organisations,
business and industry, the mass media and bilateral and multilateral donors,
with the Planning Commission serving as a nodal agency for such a
consultative group. Such a CGFFH would help to foster strategic partnerships
as well as synergy among political leaders, professionals and peoples'
organisations.
*Standing Committee of the National Development Council (NDC): *
* *A standing committee of the NDC could be set up for monitoring progress
and ensuring the success of Agenda 2007. The NDC Committee, chaired by the
Prime Minister, could include chief ministers where there is widespread
under-and mal-nutrition as well as of food secure states, so that there
could be lateral sharing of experiences among States. Such a standing
committee could provide the political guidance and support needed for
implementing this important programme.
*Immediate action during 2003-2004: *
* *Besides the announcement of the 20 million tonnes Food for Social Capital
Programme and the setting up of a Malnutrition-free India Trust, immediate
action needs to be taken to end poverty induced chronic hunger and the
transient hunger caused by drought and natural calamities through a series
of Community Food, Fodder and Feed Banks. Such banks may be established in
all the "hunger hot spots" of the country. CFBs managed by local self-help
groups, preferably of women, would save considerable transaction and
transport costs. They will also help to widen the food security basket
through inclusion of local grains like millets, pulses, oilseeds and tubers.
It will also be advisable to reclassify coarse cereals as "nutritious
grains" in order to underline their desirable nutritive properties.
*No time to relax on the Food Production Front.* While the alleviation of
hunger by improving access to income and balanced diets and safe drinking
water should receive high priority, there is no time to relax on the food
production front. We need to bring about productivity, quality (including
food safety), profitability and sustainability revolutions in farming based
on a Farming Systems Approach. There is an urgent need for enhancement of
investment in agriculture and rural infrastructure development. There is
also need for conferring on small producers the power of scale through
cooperatives, self-help groups and other socially viable methods of group
endeavour both at the production and post-harvest phases of farming. Our
spectatular progress in the dairy sector is largely though such management
innovations. There is need for a movement for trade and quality literacy
including an understanding of sanitary and phytosanitary measures and *codex
alimentarius *standards. There is also need for launching a *Jal Swaraj *and
Water Literacy Movement. Above all, there is need for a paradigm shift from
jobless to job-led growth in order to ensure that every poor person is
enabled to *earn* his or her daily bread.
Unless our agricultural competitiveness improves, our earnings from the farm
sector in international markets will not grow significantly. In a
predominantly rural and agricultural country like India, agricultural
progress (i.e. crop and animal husbandry, fisheries, forestry and
agro-forestry and agro-processing) is the most effective social safety net
against hunger and poverty. Hence, the ongoing fatigue of the green
revolution in wheat, rice and other major crops should be converted into an
ever-green revolution designed to promote productivity improvement in
perpetuity without associated ecological harm. A beginning has been made in
the Union Budget for 2003-04 to focus attention on precision farming,
economic use of water and nutrients through fertigation techniques and green
house horticulture.
Such a focus on improving factor productivity in agriculture should be
further enlarged to cover all the major agro-ecosystems.
Agricultural and rural development, if given adequate and appropriate
attention, will help the country to take to the path of job-led economic
growth.
Our substantial grain and foreign exchange reserves and the three million
women and men elected members of local bodies have provided us with an
uncommon opportunity for launching a frontal attack on hunger and poverty. *It
will be a tragedy if we don't act, when we are in a position to act.*
To conclude, the "Agenda 2007: Hunger Free Area Programme" should keep in
mind the following advice of Gandhiji given before his death.
"Forget the past. Remember every day dawns for us from the moment we wake
up. Let us all, every one, wake up now".
*The writer is the chairman of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. He
has worked for the past 45 years with scientists and policy makers on a
range of problems in basic and applied plant genetics as well as in
agricultural research and development. *
* *
* *
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