Presentation Transcript

1. Right to Food and Nutrition Chhattisgarh Model Presentation D.S. Misra ACS, Finance & Planning
2. Food Security Food Security Concern for food dates back to pre-history For the cave man, it was a natural right
3. From pre-history to history Philosophers on Right to Food Food : most basic need Starting from the premise that “none of us is self-sufficient, but we all need many things”, Plato proceeds to list the most basic needs - food, shelter, clothing, and health Plato (4th century BC) Abstract rights are meaningless without an implementation framework “What is the use of discussing a man’s abstract right to food or medicine? The question is upon the method of procuring and administering them. ” Edmund Burke (18th century) Need based approach Consumption would not be conceived as a right, but as a need to be fulfilled: ‘to each according to his needs' Marx (19th century)
4. Key elements of Right to Food  The right to food is an inclusive right; not simply a right to a minimum ration. It is a right to all nutritional elements that a person needs to live a healthy and active life, and to the means to access them. The right to adequate food is realized when every man, woman and child, alone or in community with others, has physical and economic access at all times to adequate food or means for its procurement. Essential elements of the Right to Food: Food must be available, accessible and adequate Availability refers to production and / or availability in the market Accessibility requires economic and physical access to food Adequacy means that the food must satisfy dietary needs Food entitlements should be legally enforceable
5. Food Security vs Right to Food  The right to food is different from food security. While food security can be achieved in theory without the adoption of legal measures, the addition of legally enforceable rights makes the future of food security more secure The concept of food security itself is not a legal concept per se and does not impose obligations on stakeholders nor does it provide entitlements to them The right to food places legal obligations on States to overcome hunger and malnutrition and realize food security for all Food security is a pre-condition for the full enjoyment of the right to food The link between the right to food and other human rights Human rights are interdependent, indivisible and interrelated; violating the right to food may impair the enjoyment of other human rights, such as the right to health, education or life, and vice versa
6. The right to food in international law The human right to adequate food is recognized  in a number of binding and non-binding international instruments. - The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948:  “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, ...” (art. 25) - The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, 1966 :(160 States Parties)   “the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger” (art.11(2)) Minimum core obligations-  States have to ensure minimum essential level of the right to food, even in times of natural or other disasters.Even if the resources at its disposal are clearly inadequate, the Government must still introduce low-cost and targeted programmes to assist those most in need so that its limited resources are used efficiently and effectively.
7. The right to food in international law contd… Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women(186 States Parties) The right of pregnant and lactating women to special protection with regard to adequate nutrition (article 12) and the right of rural women to equal access to land, water, credit.....social security and adequate living conditions (article 14) Convention on the Rights of the Child (193 States Parties) The right to the highest attainable standard of health(article 25) and the right to an adequate standard of living which includes food and nutrition (article 27) United Nations Millennium Declaration, 2000 States committed themselves to halving the proportion of people suffering from hunger by 2015.
8. Right to Food under Indian Constitution Right to Food under Indian Constitution Article 21 (implicit provision) – Fundamental Right to life and personal liberty “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law” Article 47 (explicit provision) - Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health;  "The State shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties” Supreme Court and Right to Food : Right to life includes right to food The Apex Court has recognized the right to food under the right to life stipulated in article 21 of the Indian Constitution, with reference also to the Directive Principle of State Policy concerning nutrition, contained in article 47 ( KishenPattnayak & another v. State of Orissa, and  People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) v. Union of India and others)  
9.  Steady March towards Right to Food Steady March towards Right to Food Building blocks of Household Food & Nutrition Security “Abstract right to food is meaningless without an implementation framework.” -Edmund Burke Right to Food & Nutrition Act 2013 Right to Skill Development Act, 2013 150 days’ Employment Guarantee SUSTAINABILITY Nutrition Security Health security: Universal Health Insurance sch. ADEQUACY Expand Coverage through MKSY Restructure Supplementary Nutrition Programme & MDM Restructure and Revamp PDS ACCESSIBILITY Streamline Procurement for PDS AVAILABILITY Produce more food
10. Multiple Actions contribute to building household Food Security Multiple Actions contribute to building household Food Security Adequacy of Food :    Agriculture Growth Rate (10th and 11th plan) - Chhattisgarh vs All-India    % Source: CSO (All-India) and DES(CG)
11. Multiple Actions contribute to building household Food Security Multiple Actions contribute to building household Food Security contd… Massive Decentralised Procurement Exercise  Cost to the State exchequer: 500 cr
12. Multiple Actions contribute to building household Food Security Multiple Actions contribute to building household Food Security contd… (Rs. crore) Total bill : 2,900cr (1.7% of GSDP) Cost of procurement : 500 cr Food security bill : 2,400 cr (Budgeted)
13. Multiple Actions contribute to building household Food Security Multiple Actions contribute to building household Food Security contd… contd…  Accessibility : Strengthening of PDS Network; making it more Effective Affordability : 75% households covered under Rs. 2/kg scheme; more Inclusive Adequacy : 35 kg of food grains per household Sustainability : Reforms in Mid-Day meal,  Supplementary Nutrition Programme, Right to Skill Upgradation Act, 2013
14.  Steady March towards Right to Food Chronology of Initiatives to Revamp the Public Distribution System Steady March towards Right to Food Chronology of Initiatives to Revamp the Public Distribution System and finally enactment and roll out of Right to Food Act :   18th Jan, 2013
15. National Food Security Ordinance vs Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act National Food Security Ordinance vs Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act
16. National Food Security Ordinance vs Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act National Food Security Ordinance vs Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act contd…
17. National Food Security Ordinance vs Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act National Food Security Ordinance vs Chhattisgarh Food and Nutrition Security Act contd…
18. Chhattisgarh National Food Security Act and Demands of Right to Food Campaign Chhattisgarh National Food Security Act and Demands of Right to Food Campaign Entitlements under the Chhattisgarh Act are close to Demands of the Right to Food Campaign.
19. PDSvs Direct Cash Transfer PDSvs Direct Cash Transfer Studies in country after country have shown that in practice, subsidised food distribution improves nutrition more than an equivalent amount of cash-aid Even in Latin America, conditional cash transfers usually act as a complement, not a substitute, for public provision of health, education and other basic services - Cash benefits can very quickly be eroded by inflation  - Solution lies in Restructuring and Strengthening the PDS, not its substitution by Direct Cash Transfer
20.   .....and the Outcomes  .....and the Outcomes IMR MMR Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh All-India All-India (Source:- SRS Bulletin, Registrar General, India) (Source:- SRS Bulletin, Registrar General, India) Literacy Malnutrition: Children U5 All-India Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh All-India (Source:- Census 2011, Registrar General, India)
21.   .....and the Outcomes  .....and the Outcomes House hold asset creation : Census 2011 data Household %
22. Why Chhattisgarh Model is replicable  Why Chhattisgarh Model is replicable Guarantees comprehensive Food and Nutrition security : Art. 47 compliant Coverage: nearly universal; Close to 90% Comprehensive PDS Reforms: Already implemented; Robust PDS   Right to Food backed by other human rights Universal Health Insurance Scheme introduced : 2012 Right to Rural Employment (MGNREGA) expanded to guarantee 150 days of employment per household Maternity benefit for female MGNREGA job card holders Right to Skill Development Act 2013
23. Funding Food Security Funding Food Security 44 per cent of children U5 are underweight; 59 per cent have stunted growth Average daily net per capita availability of food grain is a dismal 436 grams per Indian, is less than what it was half a century ago; in 1955-58, it was 440 grams. In Pulses, it is half; around 35 grams compared to nearly 70 grams in 1955-58 - India ranks among the 15 hungriest countries in the world - Tax exemptions to the tune of Rs.1,35,000 crore to the wealthy annually in the Union Budget, whereas Universal PDS is to cost Rs.1,24,000crore to the Central Exchequer? 2G spectrum (17,65,000 cr) could have funded India’s food security programme for a decade -  Gigantic pile up of grain stocks: 66 million tons, more than double the required buffer Stocks in excess of government’s storage capacity results in significant wastage; estimated preventable post-harvest losses of food grains being about 20 million tons per year; equivalent to 10 percent of total production The food grain requirements of the Act are around 61 million tonnes, while annual procurement is around 59 million tonnes. Evidence from the states which have universalised their PDS like Tamil Nadu, where the offtake is around 80 per cent or so Both GDP & food grain production have risen faster than the growth in population over the last 50 yrs Therefore, funding and availability of food grains is not a major constraint
24. "Food is the moral right of all who are born into this world" - Norman Borlaug All that is required is the political will to implement the right
25. The Philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways; the point, however, is to change it - Karl Marx  and Chhattisgarh Right to Food and Nutrition Act 2013 has made history!
26. State initiatives towards women empowerment Allotment of government land shall be in the joint name of husband and wife One per cent concession in stamp duty for land registered in the name of women Women SHGs shall be given bank loan at 3 per cent interest
27. Agencies involved in Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) Agencies running Fair Price Shops