Famine and Food Security

India’s Dependence on Monsoon

  • Agriculture in India has historically been monsoon-dependent. Failed or erratic monsoons led to crop failures, hunger, and famines. With climate change, monsoons have become increasingly unpredictable. Drought-prone areas have expanded by 50% since the 1990s.

Colonial Era Famines and Their Causes

  • Colonial famines were frequent due to:
    • Monsoon failures.
    • Colonial policies like high land taxes, emphasis on cash crops, poor infrastructure, and grain exports during famines.
  • Major Famines:
    • Great Bengal Famine (1770) – 1–10 million deaths.
    • Chalisa Famine (1783–84) – ~11 million deaths.
    • Doji Bara/Skull Famine (1791–92) – ~11 million deaths.
    • Great Famine (1876–78) – ~5 million deaths.
    • Famine of 1899–1900 – Over 1 million deaths.
  • British Response:
    • Often inadequate: delayed declarations, insufficient relief, and continued exports.
    • Famine Codes introduced in 1880, but applied inconsistently.
Famine and Food Security

Bengal Famine of 1943: A Man-Made Tragedy

  • Deaths: Estimated 2–3 million.
  • Causes:
    • Poor rice harvests + wartime disruption.
    • Hoarding, black markets, and British diversion of food resources.
    • Churchill’s cabinet refused grain imports despite India's sterling reserves.
  • Legacy:
    • Seen as colonial negligence.
    • Sparked nationalist outrage.
    • Amartya Sen highlighted distributional failure, not food scarcity.

Post-Independence Strategy: From Vulnerability to Resilience

  • No major famine since 1943 despite droughts.
  • Key interventions:
    • Irrigation projects (e.g., Bhakra-Nangal Dam).
    • Creation of Food Corporation of India (1965) and PDS.
    • Early warning systems for drought.
  • Examples:
    • Bihar drought (1966–67): Grain aid, no famine.
    • Maharashtra drought (1972–73): Employment guarantee scheme.
    • Droughts in 1987, 1988, 2002: Managed via PDS, imports, and relief.

Modern Impact of Monsoon Failure

  • 50–60% of farmland still rain-fed.
  • Consequences: Crop loss, farmer suicides, migration, and debt.
  • But: No mass starvation due to:
    • National Food Security Act (2013).
    • MGNREGA – Provides rural employment during distress.
  • Focus now is on resilience: Crop insurance, drought-resistant seeds, water conservation.

The Green Revolution: Turning Point with Trade-offs

  • Launched in 1960s, led by S. Swaminathan and Norman Borlaug.
  • Tech adoption: HYV seeds, fertilizers, irrigation.
  • Successes:
    • Grain production soared → India became self-sufficient.
    • Boosted rural economies and reduced famine threats.
  • Challenges:
    • Regional imbalance: Benefited Punjab, Haryana; ignored eastern and arid India.
    • Neglect of pulses, oilseeds: Led to nutritional imbalance.
    • Social inequality: Large farmers benefited more; small farmers struggled.
    • Environmental damage:
      • Groundwater depletion.
      • Soil degradation, pollution from fertilizers and pesticides.
      • Loss of biodiversity due to monoculture.

Key Lessons

  • India has eliminated famine but not agricultural distress.
  • The Green Revolution saved millions but created new socio-economic and ecological challenges.
  • Future focus: Equity and sustainability in agriculture.
  • Food security must include nutritional security, rural equity, and environmental sustainability.