This document summarizes a study on food security in rural India conducted by the Institute for Human Development and the UN World Food Programme. The study analyzed indicators of food availability, access, and absorption across 8 states to develop composite food security indices for districts. It found that tribal regions of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Bundelkhand face extreme food insecurity, while southern Maharashtra, northwest UP, and northeast Rajasthan are more food secure. The analysis aims to identify the most vulnerable areas and communities to help target policy interventions for improving rural food security in India.

1. Food Security Atlas of Rural India
Scope of the Study The Objectives Methodology
 Eight States:  Identify most Food  Indicators for Food
Jharkhand, Orissa, Insecure Districts/ Security Outcome and
Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Vulnerable Availability, Access, &
Maharashtra, Madhya Communities Absorption
Pradesh, Uttar  Suggest appropriate dimensions of Food
Pradesh, Rajasthan policy interventions Security
• Only Rural Areas:  Ranking districts on
Grouping of Districts
Relative Food Security • Secure the basis of Range
Ranks of Districts • Moderately Secure Equalisation Method
within the State • Moderately Insecure  Presenting results with
• Severely Insecure the help of Choropleth
• Extremely Insecure Maps
ihdindia.org
Institute for Human Development, The UN World Food Programme,
NIDM Building, IIPA Campus, IP Estate, New Delhi-02 2-Poorvi Marg, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi-57

2. Food Availability Index Food Access Index
Food Access Index Food Absorption Index
Indicators:  Indicators:  Indicators:
• Per Capita Value of • Rural Wages • Access to Safe Drinking
Agricultural Output • Monthly Per Capita Water
(PCVAO) Consumption Expenditure • Access to Primary Health
• Net Irrigated Area to Net • Agricultural Labourers Centres
Sown Area (%) and • Proportion of SC and ST  Bundelkhand region,
• % Paved Roads • Dependency Ratio plateau region of Jharkhand
 Plateau, forested, desert • Rural Female Literacy
and Chhattisgarh and
and tribal dominated area are  Extremely Insecure region desert region of Rajasthan
extremely insecure are again forested and are extremely insecure
Gangetic and Narmada tribal dominated.  Bihar, Western UP and
valley regions are relatively Maharashtra and Rajasthan parts of Maharashtra are
secure are relatively secure relatively secure
Institute for Human Development, The UN World Food Programme,
NIDM Building, IIPA Campus, IP Estate, New Delhi-02 2-Poorvi Marg, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi-57

3. Food Security Outcome Index
 Indicators:
• Under Five Mortality
• Underweight Children
 Bulandshahar, Sidhi, Panna, Mainpuri, Katni
and Farrukhabad are extremely insecure
 Of the 281 districts, 80 are severely insecure,
126 are moderately insecure, 58 are moderately
secure and only 11 are secure.
Research Team
IHD Research Team
Food Security Index (FSI) Devnathan
Preet Rustagi
 FSI is a composite index of Availability, Sandip Sarkar
Access and Absorption Index Sunil Mishra
Abhay Kumar*
Tribal parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Payel Dutta Majumdar
Chhattisgarh and Bundelkhand region UN WFP Research Team
Nisha Srivastava
of MP and UP are extremely insecure Minnie Mathew
Southern Maharashtra, North western Pradnya Paithankar
UP and north eastern Rajasthan are Bal Paritosh Das
Animesh Kumar
food secure regions. * Corresponding Author – abhay.ihd@gmail.com
Institute for Human Development, The UN World Food Programme,
NIDM Building, IIPA Campus, IP Estate, New Delhi-02 2-Poorvi Marg, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi-57