Food security in India

Food security has been a major concern in India. In 2022, the Global Food Security Index ranked India at 68th out of the 113 major countries in terms of food security.^[1] In 2023, the Global Hunger Index ranked India at 111th out of 125 countries.^[2] According to United Nations, there are nearly 195 million undernourished people in India that make up a quarter of the world's undernourished population. In addition, roughly 43% of children in India are chronically undernourished.^[3] Though the current nutritional standards meets 100% of daily food requirements, India lags far behind in terms of a quality protein intake at 20%; this shortcoming can be alleviated by making available protein-rich food products such as soybeans, lentils, meat, eggs, dairy, etc. more readily accessible and affordable for Indian citizens.^[4] The Human Rights Measurement Initiative^[5] finds that India is operating at only 56.8% of its capacity based its economic power to ensure its citizens have adequate food security.^[6]