The Green Revolution increased India’s food production so as to achieve a level of self-sufficiency. What then has gone wrong at the policy level that even after six decades of Independence malnutrition is higher in India than that in sub-Saharan Africa?
Answer:
I would not agree that India is “self-sufficient” in food production. It looks self-sufficient only because food intake is abysmally low, not only in terms of quantity but also in terms of quality. For Indians to eat like the Chinese, let alone the French or the Italians, there will have to be a lot more food around. Having said this, low food production is not the main issue, and food production itself would easily go up if there were enough purchasing power among the masses. The main issue is people’s inability to secure essential things that are required for good nutrition. These include not only food but also other inputs such as clean water, health care, sanitation, basic education and child care. All these fields of public policy have been grossly neglected for a long time.
- Jean Dreze
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