Food Conference used the definition of food security as the at all times of “availability adequate world food supplies of basic foodstuff to sustain a steady expansion of food consumption and to offset fluctuations in production and decades later, the prices”. Two new definition put forward at the 1996 World Food Summit stipulated that food security when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to “exists sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy This definition of food security from a production centred to life”. social centred perspective has in with the shift to the capability “progressed hand glove” approach and a rights based perspective. Consequently, the current approach to food security now has three separate pillars food availability, food access and food use. The – first pillar centres on ensuring that sufficient quantities of food are available on a consistent basis. The second pillar on involves having sufficient resources to food access obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet. The third pillar on further advises food use that sufficient availability and access to food should be accompanied by appropriate knowledge on the use of food regarding basic nutrition and adequate sanitation. III. Approach to Food Security in China and India China and India have placed food security high on their respective policy “long Over the decades, both on food security have, in line with agendas”. countries’ policies global trends, shifted from being predominantly pre-occupied with food availability, towards a greater emphasis on food access and more recently on food use through a greater focus on nutrition and health. The Green Revolution in India in 1960, and the introduction of the household responsibility system in China in 1979 resulted in significant increases in food production by the 1980s. Since then, both countries have adopted similar strategies, including input subsidies, public stockholding and minimum government procurement prices to maintain food availability and secure food However, when it comes to access to food, the two countries have applied different approaches.. In India, the right to food movement has gained momentum to active interventions by civil society and the courts, while the government has focused on ensuring access to food via a public distribution system that makes subsidized grains available to the poor. In contrast, in China where there is no legal right to food provided in either law or policy, access to food approaches have focused on the more expansive income transfer program, and a non-food based social safety net to help the poor. More recently, both countries have also paid greater attention to improving nutrition in securing food security.
Food Conference used the definition of food security as the “availability at all times of adequate world food supplies of basic foodstuff to sustain a steady expansion of food consumption and to offset fluctuations in production and prices”. Two decades later, the new definition put forward at the 1996 World Food Summit stipulated that food security “exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”. This definition of food security from a production centred to social centred perspective has “progressed hand in glove” with the shift to the capability approach and a rights based perspective. Consequently, the current approach to food security now has three separate pillars – food availability, food access and food use. The first pillar centres on ensuring that sufficient quantities of food are available on a consistent basis. The second pillar on food access involves having sufficient resources to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet. The third pillar on food use further advises that sufficient availability and access to food should be accompanied by appropriate knowledge on the use of food regarding basic nutrition and adequate sanitation. III. Approach to Food Security in China and India China and India have “long placed food security high on their respective policy agendas”. Over the decades, both countries’ policies on food security have, in line with global trends, shifted from being predominantly pre-occupied with food availability, towards a greater emphasis on food access and more recently on food use through a greater focus on nutrition and health. The Green Revolution in India in 1960, and the introduction of the household responsibility system in China in 1979 resulted in significant increases in food production by the 1980s. Since then, both countries have adopted similar strategies, including input subsidies, public stockholding and minimum government procurement prices to maintain food availability and secure food However, when it comes to access to food, the two countries have applied different approaches.. In India, the right to food movement has gained momentum to active interventions by civil society and the courts, while the government has focused on ensuring access to food via a public distribution system that makes subsidized grains available to the poor. In contrast, in China where there is no legal right to food provided in either law or policy, access to food approaches have focused on the more expansive income transfer program, and a non-food based social safety net to help the poor. More recently, both countries have also paid greater attention to improving nutrition in securing food security.
flc_2016-june-nandini_ramanujam-stephanie_chow.docx