Making India’s food system climate-proof cannot wait, Pg6

Key Highlights:

• India's food security, established through decades of public investment and the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, is now critically threatened by climate change.
• The country achieved over 350 million tonnes of foodgrain production in 2024-25, including record outputs of rice and wheat.
• The Public Distribution System (PDS), bolstered by digitisation and One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC), provides a robust foundation for building climate resilience.
• A key strategy involves diversifying procurement beyond the traditional rice-wheat system to include millets, pulses, and oilseeds, aligning with local climate conditions.
• Measures include integrating India Meteorological Department forecasts into food management decisions and investing in climate-resilient infrastructure and farmer tools.
• Financing for climate-resilient food systems will leverage green bonds, adaptation finance, and integrate food systems into India’s net-zero pathway.

Detailed Insights:

• India's journey transformed from food aid dependence in the 1960s to becoming a major food producer with substantial buffer stocks.
• Climate risks span the entire food value chain, impacting production, storage, transport, and consumption due to heat, erratic monsoons, and water scarcity.
• The current rice-wheat procurement model, while successful, is concentrated in specific geographies, many of which face severe groundwater stress.
• Diversifying the food basket within the PDS to include locally appropriate millets and pulses can enhance nutrition, water conservation, and climate adaptation.
• The NFSA monitoring framework can be expanded to include indicators for heat, water stress, storage exposure, and supply-chain resilience.
• Farmers require practical tools such as climate-resilient seed varieties, micro-irrigation, precision farming, and weather-indexed insurance to manage climate risks.
• Public-private collaboration is essential for accelerating research, certification, and last-mile delivery of climate-resilient agricultural solutions.
• Investment in flood-resilient warehouses, temperature-suited storage, expanded cold chains, and robust transport links is crucial for protecting diverse food items.
• Building a broader 'climate buffer' that combines diversified crops, resilient infrastructure, climate information, and improved water management can reduce systemic risks.
• The national framing is evolving from "food security" to "sustainable food security," embedding climate risk management as a core design parameter.

Key Concepts Involved:

• National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013: A legal entitlement providing subsidized foodgrains to approximately 800 million people in India.
• Public Distribution System (PDS): An Indian food security system that distributes subsidized food and non-food items to India's poor.
• One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC): A scheme allowing portability of ration cards, enabling beneficiaries to claim foodgrains from any PDS shop across the country.
• Climate Buffer: A strategic reserve or system designed to absorb shocks from climate change, combining diversified resources and resilient infrastructure.