FOOD SYSTEM VULNERABILITY
AND
ADAPTIVE CAPACITY ENHANCING
OPTIONS
VAISHALI DISTRICT, BIHAR (SITE-4)
7th Feb, 2009 at New Delhi
Gyaneshwar Singh
Gorakhpur Environmental Action Group, Bihar
Email: geag2@sancharnet.in and paramgsingh@gmail.com
Website: www.geagindia.org
Profile of Vaishali District
Geo-Graphical:
• Locked By Mountains and Hills of the
Himalayas and Plateau of Jharkhand
• Surrounded by River Ganga in South
and Gandak in West.
• Topograhy- Chaur ( Low Land Area)
• Annual Rainfall -1121 mm.
• Drought and Flood Prone Area
• Local Climate & Soil Type Favorable
for Rice, Wheat & Maize - Major Cereals
Socio-Economic
• Population: 94 % Rural and 6% Urban
• 90% Population have Agriculture as Primary Income
and 64% Population have Migration as Secondary
Income
• Per Capital Income = Rs. 3830 is 13% of National
Average (in 2006-2007)
• 63% Population Suffering From Poverty
• 80% of Population Suffering From Malnutrition
Agricultural
• 90% of Population dependent on agriculture
• Small and Scattered Land (Above 90% with 0.37
hectare)
• 40% agricultural land is unused
• 65% area is occupied by local varieties
• 67% area is irrigated
• 37% area is sown more than once
• 2 % Agricultural growth rate (45% of average Bihar
Ag growth rate)
FOOD SYSTEM & DETERMINANTS:
a. Food Availability Outcome
Elements
Determinants
Elements
Yield
Production
Diversification
Transportation &
Distribution
Infrastructure
Storage facility
Exchange
Characteristics
Determinants
Low
Low
Poor and Inadequate ( Now
Improving)
Poor (Public & Private)
Market Exchange
Mechanism (cash &
barter)
Common
Role of Remittance
High
of
b. Food Access Outcome
Elements
Determinants
Elements
Affordability Household income
Allocation
Preference
of Characteristics of Determinants


Low and inadequate farm income
Major share of remittance goes in
loan settlements
Price fluctuation

Control over production


Occurs in disastrous / food crisis
period
Low (Exploitative Tenancy System)
Low purchasing power to meet
domestic expenses
Govt Intervention-reMarket

In-effective Government Functioning
Staple Food

Consumption Patterns

Trend: Rice, over wheat, over maize
(Coarse to Medium Rice )
Increase of Maize Consumption
because of possibility of 3 Crops
c. Food Utilization Outcome
Elements Determinants
Nutrition
Value
Social
Value
Food
Safety
Elements
 Food Diversity
of Characteristics of Determinants
 Low and In- AdequateDiversified Food Consumption
Pattern
 Source of Primary  Poor Consumption Level
protein ( pulses and  Improved intake during flood
other proteins –
(fish, snails, fauna, spinach,
milk and fish)
crabs )
 Social
 Determined by Food Availability
Bonding/Celebratio
n
 Contamination
 Food Spoiled From Arsenic
Ground Water ( 360ppb)
 51% of Food Consumed is
Spoiled by Flood
 Storage Condition  Poor in 52% HHs. Affected by
flood in 72% HHs
Climatic Variability - Water Stresses
• Uncertain, Unequal and Abrupt Rainfall (e.g. onset in
2005 & 2006: Mid of Jeth; in 2007: 3rd Week of
Baishakh; in 2008: Ist Week of Baishakh)
• Increase of Soil and Air Temperature in last 10 yrs
(based on farmers’ perception of irrigation demand)
• Decreasing Trend of Rainfall In Last 33 Years (1974 to
2007 – Met Office stats)
• Flooding (With Water Logging) & Drought both Common
• Severity Trend of Water Stresses- Initially Flood with
Water Logging- then drought- then Flood With Prolonged
Water (in 2007 and 2008) (Farmer’ Perceptions)
Vulnerability Assessment of Food System
Food security
determinants
GEC stress
Sensitivity to
water stress
Coping or adaptive Overall
capacity
vulnerabilit
y
Low
High
(Rainfall
Uncertainty)
I-Food Diversity [
Nutritional Value ]
Food Utilization)
Uncertainty of
Rainfall (time &
amount)
High
II- Sources of
Primary protein [
Nutritional Value ]
Food Utilization
Regular drought
and uncertain
flood features
High:
Low (Milk and
Pulses
production)
Low
(Consume snail,
crabs, small Fishes
etc)
Medium to
High
(High in
2007 and
2008)
I- Presence of
pathogens, arsenic
& fluoride [Safety ]
Food Utilization
Flood unhygienicity
High.
Low(Consume Dry
processed food)
High
II- Storage
Condition [Safety ]
Food Utilization
Flood
High.
Medium(Immediate Sale of
Produces )
High
Food security
determinants
I-House hold income [
food Affordability ]
Food Access
GEC
stress
Flood,
water
logging
and
drought.
Sensitivity to water
stress
High
Coping or adaptive capacity Overall
vulnerability
Medium
High
(high migration,64%),
Remittance goes in Loan
II- Fluctuation in
price [ Food
Affordability ] Food
Access
I- Government
intervention remarkets [Food
Allocation] Food
Access
II-Control over own
production[Food
Allocation] Food
Access
Flood &
drought
Highly
(Low productioncreates dependency on
Market)
High
Ineffectiveness of
Government
Low
(Sale of assets,}
Flood
and
drought
Medium
Low
(low quality food and less
diversity)
Medium
In-adequate
Govt Efforts
I- Sources of
preferred
carbohydrate [food
preference] food access
II- Consumption
Pattern (More
Protein) [food
preference] food access
Flood
and
drought
Medium
MediumRice–Wheat–Maize.
High
Flood
and
Drought
Medium
Medium
Maize
High
Mainly
Flood
No cope up
Except- low intake of food
High
(Black market
and
corruption)
High
Food security
determinants
GEC stress
Sensitivity to Coping or
Overall
water stress adaptive capacity vulnerability
I- Food self-sufficiency
(household)
[ Production ] food
availability)
Flood and
Drought
High
Low crop
productio
n
II- Potential for Crop
Diversification [
Production ] food
availability
Uncertain rainfall
Sensitive area Low
has potentials Lack of information
for crop
diversification
High
I- Transportation &
Infrastructure
[Distribution ]food
availability
Flood Situation
High
Moderate to high
Medium
(Concrete road
formation is going
on.
IIStorage facilities
[Distribution ]food
availability
Flood
High
Medium
Eat spoiled
food/immediate
selling
High
I-Exchange for
household food
consumption [
exchange] food
availability
Flood and
drought
Medium
Medium
(neighbor/mar Exchange of food
ket)
items from
markets/ sale of
assets for food
II- Role of remittance [
Exchange] food
availability
Regular trend of High
flood and drought
Low
High
High migration and
daily wages
High
37% area is sown
more than once
High
High
Households’ Perceptions of Their Own Food
Security Vulnerability to Water Stresses
Village
Ajampura
Highest Vul
(Group-1)
48%
Medium Vul
( Group-II)
29%
Lowest Vul
(Group-II1)
23%
Baikunthpur
34%
52%
14%
Phulpura
37%
48%
16%
Panipur Siloder
36%
46%
18%
Grounds of Classification:
Land Holding, Agricultural
Production, Economic Status &
Wealth, Affordability, Diversified
Source Of Income, Remittances,
Storage Facilities, Control Over
Production, Food Availability,
Access And Reach To Government
Schemes Etc. ( Data Taken in June,07)
Urgent Demand of Farming Community
Towards Adaptation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Timely Availability of Quality Inputs
Drought & Flood Resistant High Yielding Crop Varieties
Irrigation Facilities
Information on Modern Techniques ( Crop and
Equipments )
Ease Credit Schemes
Alternate Options of Chemical and High Cost of Inputs
Additional Livelihood Options
Government Schemes ( Like NREGA, PDS)
Adaptation Response Priority
F.S. OUTCOMES
Food Availability
ACTORS
ACTIVITIES
Production ( Increase
Government
Machineries
Crop Diversification,
Intensification )
Production
Distribution
Exchange
Food Access
Private Sector (Ex:
Market,
Civil Society
Organization
Processing &
Packaging
( Better Storage )
Distribution & Retail
(Improve Road,
Transportation )
Affordability
Allocation
Preferences
Food Utilization
Resource Manager (
Farmers)
Consumption ( Safe
drinking water
facilities )
Nutritional Value
Social Value
Food Safety
**Thanks**