Food security: Community kitchens a way to enhance human security

Community kitchens are widely recognized as institutions established with the primary objective of providing free or affordable nutritious food to the broader community. These institutions hold official recognition from the legal authorities of our nation and can operate either as state-run entities or under the auspices of religious organizations. India grapples with persistent issues of food insecurity, exacerbated by a burgeoning population, creating a situation of too few resources to feed too many mouths. A potential remedy emerged prominently before the Covid-19 era in the form of community kitchens, which played a crucial role in supporting various communities during lockdowns. This paper aims to illuminate the community kitchen model as a means to address concerns related to human security. Utilizing secondary data, the paper seeks to establish correlations highlighting the efficacy of community kitchens as a viable solution to India’s food security challenges. For this study, two noteworthy community kitchen practices in Mumbai serve as key references.