FOOD SECURITY VIZ-A-VIZ FOOD SAFETY IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES- AN INDIAN ASPECT

India is a country of diversity, very rich in agriculture and natural resources, where agriculture has been the main occupation of the masses. The food grain production in India during 2011-12, has been at all time record level of 259.32 million tonnes (GOI 2012-13), which is supposed to be more than sufficient to feed 1.21 billion population of the country, but it is ironically and unfortunately true, that despite the huge stock of food grains available with the Food Corporation of India, (henceforth known as FCI) stray cases of hunger deaths are still being reported in the country. Notwithstanding mentions in the Constitution, the hunger and poverty in the country goes unabated. The State has not been able to provide food to all, at affordable cost. Here, food means basic agriculture produces, like-wheat, rice, pulses and sugar. All these are important for a human being, because at least two full diets are required to satisfy the biological need of food, or hunger. The huge population base and lack of sufficient domestic production of foodgrain in the past, and import of foodgrain from other countries (before the green revolution), lack of purchasing power, geographical discontinuity and difference in supply and demand of food grains in the country, required special efforts by the central and state governments to create food security net.