India has Weakened its Nutritional Security

Since the immense success of the Panjab-driven Green Revolution in the 1960s-80s when India achieved food sufficiency, the trend of bumper harvests continues. Yet, India keeps falling on the Global Hunger Index, currently occupying 11/125 position. This is a result of gaps between produce and population and distribution systems. Now, a study (part 2 and 3 linked below) led by Indian Council of Agricultural Research scientists has found the grains Indians eat have lost food value. The population is increasingly accumulating toxins, which is predicted to worsen India’s burden of non-communicable diseases (NCD) by 2040. The study reports that breeding programs focused on developing high-yielding varieties have altered the nutrient profiles of rice and wheat, the two major staple food grains, to the extent that their dietary significance has diminished. In chasing yield, plant genetics have been altered so much that they no longer do the fundamental job of delivering nutrition from soil to grain. Scientists have assessed the health impact of this historical shift in the nutrient profiles of rice and wheat and warn that poor staple grains could worsen the country’s growing burden of NCDs. The study’s findings corroborate a report by the Indian Council of Medical Research that indicates a 25% rise in NCDs among the Indian population from 1990 to 2016. Estimates show that India is home to one-third of the 2 billion global population suffering from micronutrient deficiency. Part 2, Part 3.