Food Security and the PDS in India
Reforms: Cash Transfers, Procurement and Diversity
Debates on the future of food policy include cash transfers, broader procurement, and more diverse foods like millets and pulses.
How should food policy evolve?
Cash versus grain
Cash gives choice but can be eroded by inflation or spent on other things.
Procurement bias
Public buying focuses on wheat and rice in a few states, which encourages water-intensive farming.
Millets and pulses
Adding them to the system would improve nutrition and farm diversity.
Storage and waste
Modern silos and better logistics can lower losses.
A millet ration
A state adds ragi to its ration basket, improving nutrition and farmers' demand.
Assuming there is only one right model
Trade-offs exist.
Key takeaways
- Cash versus grain is debated.
- Wheat and rice dominate procurement.
- Millets could diversify.
- Storage improvements cut waste.
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