World Food Day 2025: Building a Nourished and Sustainable Nation

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17 Oct World Food Day 2025: Building a Nourished and Sustainable Nation

Posted at 17 Oct 2025 in Current Affairs by
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This  article covers “Daily Current Affairs” and the Topic World Food Day 2025: Building a Nourished and Sustainable Nation

SYLLABUS MAPPING:   

GS- 2- Welfare Schemes and Nutrition- World Food Day 2025: Building a Nourished and Sustainable Nation

FOR PRELIMS

What are the key objectives and recent reforms under the National Food Security & Nutrition Mission (NFSNM)?

FOR MAINS

What challenges does India face in achieving sustainable food security, and what steps can be taken to overcome them?

Why in the News?

World Food Day, observed globally on 16 October each year, marks a collective commitment to ensuring food security, nutrition, and sustainable agriculture. It serves as a powerful reminder of the persistent global challenge of hunger and malnutrition, despite significant advances in food production. Food is the foundation of life—essential for health, growth, and well-being—and yet millions worldwide remain food insecure. The day urges renewed focus on resilient food systems, equitable access, and sustainable agricultural practices.

India’s Progress in Food and Nutrition Security

As one of the world’s most populous nations, India has made remarkable progress in reducing hunger and improving nutritional outcomes through an integrated framework of policies and programmes. The country’s efforts align with the World Food Day 2025 theme—“Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future”, reflecting a holistic approach to food availability, affordability, and sustainability.
Over the past decade, foodgrain production in India has risen by nearly 90 million metric tonnes, while fruit and vegetable output has grown by more than 64 million metric tonnes. India ranks first globally in milk and millet production, and second in fish, fruit, and vegetable output. Honey and egg production have also doubled since 2014. Additionally, agricultural exports have nearly doubled over the past 11 years, strengthening India’s position as a global food supplier.

Key Government Initiatives for Food and Nutritional Security

1. National Food Security & Nutrition Mission (NFSNM): Originally launched in 2007–08 as the National Food Security Mission (NFSM), it aimed to increase rice, wheat, and pulse production and enhance soil fertility. Renamed the NFSNM (2024–25), it now combines food production with nutrition enhancement, linking agriculture to public health outcomes.
2. National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013: The NFSA ensures equitable food distribution, covering 75% of the rural and 50% of the urban population—about 81.35 crore beneficiaries—through Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Households (PHH). Together, NFSNM and NFSA form the twin pillars of India’s food security—one driving production, the other ensuring distribution.
3. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY): Launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, PMGKAY provided free foodgrains to all NFSA beneficiaries. Its continuation from January 2024 to December 2028, with a financial outlay of ₹11.80 lakh crore, demonstrates India’s long-term commitment to eradicating hunger and shielding the poor from economic distress.

4. PM POSHAN (Poshan Shakti Nirman) Scheme: Formerly the Mid-Day Meal Scheme, PM POSHAN provides nutritious cooked meals to children in government and aided schools, enhancing learning outcomes and promoting classroom attendance. In FY 2024–25, 22.96 LMT of rice and wheat were allocated under this programme.
5. Rice Fortification Initiative: To address micronutrient deficiencies, the government introduced fortified rice containing Iron, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B12. By March 2024, 100% of rice under schemes like PMGKAY, ICDS, and PM POSHAN was fortified. The initiative has been extended until December 2028 with ₹17,082 crore in funding.

Modernizing Food Distribution Systems

To enhance transparency and efficiency, India has introduced SMART-PDS (Scheme for Modernisation and Reforms through Technology). It incorporates biometric authentication, e-KYC, and digital ration card management to ensure accountability.
The launch of Mera Ration 2.0 (2024) further improved accessibility by providing real-time entitlement information and location details for Fair Price Shops. Nearly 99.9% of ration cards are Aadhaar-linked, while the One Nation, One Ration Card (ONORC) initiative ensures portability of benefits nationwide.

Supplementary Interventions

Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS-D): Under OMSS(D), surplus foodgrains are sold in the open market to control inflation and ensure price stability. Products like Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice have been introduced at subsidised rates to maintain affordability.

Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (2025–31): Launched in October 2025, this mission aims to achieve self-reliance in pulse production by expanding cultivation by 35 lakh hectares, benefiting nearly 2 crore farmers and enhancing nutritional self-sufficiency.

India’s Global Food Leadership

World Food India 2025: Organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, the event showcased India’s potential as a global food hub, with participation from 90+ countries and 2,000 exhibitors. It emphasized innovation, investment, and sustainability in the food processing sector.

Indian Thali in Global Spotlight: India’s traditional plant-based Thali was recognized by the WWF Living Planet Report for its nutritional value and environmental sustainability. The report highlighted that adopting India’s dietary pattern could reduce global resource use to 0.84 Earths by 2050, proving its sustainability and climate-friendliness.

Challenges in Ensuring Food and Nutritional Security

1. Persistent Malnutrition and Hidden Hunger: Despite improved food availability, India still faces high levels of undernutrition, anaemia, and micronutrient deficiencies, especially among women and children.
2. Climate Change and Agricultural Vulnerability: Erratic rainfall, soil degradation, and rising temperatures threaten foodgrain yields and regional food security.
3. Post-Harvest Losses and Supply Chain Inefficiencies: Inadequate cold storage, transport infrastructure, and processing facilities lead to significant food wastage.
4. Regional and Social Disparities: Access to nutritious food remains uneven across states and socio-economic groups, with tribal and remote areas often left behind.
5. Overdependence on Cereal-Based Diets: While foodgrain security has improved, dietary diversity remains limited, affecting nutritional outcomes.
6. Implementation and Leakages in PDS: Despite digitisation, issues of inclusion and exclusion errors, and limited grievance redressal persist in some regions.

Way Forward

1. Promote Nutrition-Sensitive Agriculture: Encourage crop diversification towards pulses, millets, and biofortified crops to ensure balanced nutrition.
2. Strengthen Climate-Resilient Farming: Adopt technologies such as precision agriculture, drought-resistant seeds, and integrated water management to mitigate climate impacts.
3. Enhance Post-Harvest and Food Processing Infrastructure: Expand cold chains, logistics, and agro-processing clusters under schemes like PM Kisan Sampada Yojana and World Food India initiatives.
4. Empower Women and Small Farmers: Provide targeted credit, training, and market access to women farmers who play a key role in food production and household nutrition.
5. Deepen Fortification and Biofortification Efforts: Expand fortification beyond rice to cover other staples like wheat, oil, and salt while ensuring awareness and quality control.
6. Improve Data and Monitoring: Establish real-time monitoring of nutrition and food security indicators through integrated digital platforms at district and block levels.
7. Strengthen Global and Regional Cooperation: Collaborate with international organizations and neighbouring countries to share best practices in food security, trade, and sustainable agriculture

Conclusion

World Food Day 2025 reinforces the vision of achieving “Better Foods for a Better Future.” India’s holistic strategy—combining production enhancement, nutrition improvement, and digital reforms—demonstrates how food security can be both inclusive and sustainable. With flagship programmes such as NFSA, PMGKAY, NFSNM, SMART-PDS, and rice fortification, India is ensuring that no citizen goes hungry while paving the way for nutrition-led growth. Going forward, the focus must shift from food sufficiency to nutritional adequacy, climate resilience, and sustainability, thereby positioning India as a global model in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

Prelims question:

Q.  Consider the following pairs regarding Government initiatives related to food and nutrition security in India:

No. Scheme / Mission Objective (as per question)
1 PM POSHAN Providing mid-day meals to school children
2 NFSA (National Food Security Act, 2013) Ensuring free food distribution to all citizens
3 NFSNM (National Food Security & Nutrition Mission) Enhancing foodgrain productivity and nutritional outcomes
4 Rice Fortification Initiative Addressing micronutrient deficiencies

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) 1, 3 and 4 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: A

Mains Question:

Q. “Ensuring food security is not just about producing enough food but also about ensuring equitable access and nutrition for all.” In light of this statement, discuss the role of India’s recent initiatives, such as the National Food Security & Nutrition Mission (NFSNM), PMGKAY, and SMART-PDS in achieving sustainable food and nutritional security.

                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                       (250  words) 

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