Hunger is the worst form of deprivation. At the 1996 World Food Summit, a commitment was made to achieve food security for all, eradicate hunger in all countries and have the number of people suffering from hunger and malnutrition by the year 2015. Even though India has achieved self-sufficiency in food grains, concerns remain in regard to food security and intra-household distribution. Over 207 million people were undernourished in 1996-8 due to inadequate access to food. The problem is indeed stupendous in magnitude. In view of the enormity of the problems a seminar was organized on this issue in April 2001 in New Delhi jointly by the Planning Commission, Government of India, the United Nations World Food Programme and M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation. Leading food security experts participated in the seminar, which has resulted in this collection. The papers throw light on the possibilities for achieving freedom from hunger in India by 2007, thus highlighting strategies for increasing food production as well as effective targeting of entitlements under various government schemes. The papers also lay emphasis on giving priority to people oriented investments such as supply of clean drinking water, minimum food nutrition, health care and education. While emphasizing the need to give women a pivotal role in economic activities, the papers also focus on extending opportunities of sustainable livelihood, decentralized food management, timely response to natural disasters and improving market access for agricultural exports. This book should be useful to policy makers, administrators, academicians , researchers and all those interested in the area of food and nutritional security, worldwide.
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