Status of food insecurity at household level in rural India: A case study of Uttar Pradesh

Food insecurity exists when people are undernourished as a result of the physical unavailability of food, their lack of social or economic access to adequate food, and inadequate food utilization. It may be happened at, individual, household, and regional levels Present study was conducted in rural masses of Shahjahanpur district to ascertain the situation of calorie intake and to identify number of food insecure people at household level, and to analyze the factors responsible for food insecurity at household level. The data were collected through field surveys of 480 households from four villages. Food insecure households account 6.67 per cent and 25 per cent households have access of food less than 1890 and 2400 calories per person a day, 10 per cent of households have the access to safe drinking, and more than 26 per cent households were identified without proper toilets. In spite of having BPL and APL cards, above 20 per cent card holders do not get any food commodity from PDS. Majority of households have the monthly income of less than Rs. 3000. At least 32 per cent households were without holding, and more than 22 per cent households live without keeping livestock. Majority of households belong to backward and scheduled castes and landless or marginal category of farmers and have low income with poor purchasing that leads to improper accessibility, stability and absorption of food.