Is Food Security Sustainable? - Evidence from A District-Level Study of Uttarakhand

Abstract

Abstract: Food production needs to be increased significantly to feed the population of 9 billion by 2050. This calls for probing to understand whether food security is sustainable in the long-term. Attempts have been made in the past to create indices for measuring sustainability of food security. However, for a comprehensive understanding, an index is required that not only gives an absolute picture but also measures trade-offs associated with the sustainability of food security. Food security is affected by factors such as income, population and climate change. Uttarakhand is a state vulnerable to climate change and is witnessing the challenge of migration at the same time. Therefore, a novel Sustainable Food Security Trade-off Index (SFSTI) is developed in the current study for the assessment of sustainability of food security at district-level in case of Uttarakhand. The construction of SFSTI is based on the new Human Development Index (HDI) methodology. The index is assessed on data spanning 52 years, from 1966 to 2017. It utilizes the trade-offs between positive and negative indicators existing within food availability and food accessibility dimensions of food security. The results revealed that none of the districts could not cross 0.5 mark on normalization scale of SFSTI indicating low sustainability of food security. Pithoragarh achieved the highest score of 0.45 on the index, while Tehri Garhwal and Uttarkashi obtained the lowest scores of 0.29. Sustainable food security can be achieved with the twin goals of sustainable intensification and sustainable healthy diets. A food system supporting food security, using natural and human resources optimally, being acceptable culturally and accessible, environmentally acceptable, economically viable, fair, and providing the consumers with nutritionally adequate, safe, healthy and affordable food for present and future generations can ensure sustainability.