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Why Does Malnutrition Remain 'Alive’ Even When Dal–Rice Fills Stomach?
Why Does Malnutrition Remain 'Alive’ Even When Dal–Rice Fills Stomach? Shocking Revelations In Think Tank Report
Today, our country not only feeds 1.4 billion people but also produces a surplus and exports food grains. However, a new crisis has now emerged. Our stomachs may be full, but there is a lack of quality in our food.
There was a time when India's Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri gave the slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan.” At that time, India was fighting on two fronts. Even two decades had not passed since Independence when Pakistan went to war. At the same time, India was battling a severe food-grain crisis. People were struggling to get even two meals a day. Wheat was being imported from the United States, and even that came with threats. In such circumstances, Shastri ji raised the slogan of self-reliance in food.
Today, our country not only feeds 1.4 billion people but also produces a surplus and exports food grains. However, a new crisis has now emerged. Our stomachs may be full, but there is a lack of quality in our food. A report by ICRIER has revealed some startling facts.
According to a report by India's leading economic think tank ICRIER (Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations), soil quality in India is declining at an alarming rate. Essential nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and zinc are rapidly depleting from the soil. As a result, the crops being grown have lower nutritional quality, and people consuming them are increasingly suffering from malnutrition.
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ICRIER research fellow Ritika Juneja said that the decline in soil quality in our country has reached an extremely alarming stage. The main reason behind this is the excessive and indiscriminate use of fertilizers by farmers. In other words, in the race to increase crop production, the overuse of fertilizers is steadily degrading soil quality across the country. If this crisis is to be addressed, the nutrient content of crops must be improved. For this, the government will have to formulate appropriate policies and farmers will need to be made aware—only then can soil health improve.
In fact, nutritional security is an issue that is often overlooked despite its importance. Plates may have dal, rice, and roti, but they lack real “strength.” The root cause is soil health. Micronutrients are continuously being depleted from our soils. This has not only reduced agricultural productivity but has also significantly lowered the nutritional quality of food grains.
ICRIER professor Dr. Ashok Gulati has pointed out that India has achieved a record food-grain production of 357.7 million tonnes (2024–25), ensuring food security for 1.4 billion people. However, the country is lagging behind in nutritional security. He said the problem is no longer a lack of food, but a lack of quality in food. We are filling our stomachs, but failing to nourish our bodies.
In reality, nutritional security is an issue that remains neglected despite being extremely important. Plates have dal, rice, and roti, but they lack real “strength.” The reason lies in soil health. Micronutrients are continuously being depleted from our soil. This not only reduces yields but also diminishes the nutritional value of grains.
What is more worrying is that wheat, rice, and pulses, staple foods for most Indians, are also deficient in nutrients and organic matter (derived from plant and animal residues). This crisis now demands policy-level reforms.
To understand the seriousness, consider this example: if soil quality is poor, crops will be deficient in zinc. When children consume such grains, it hampers their cognitive development. Their height may be affected, and their ability to think and understand may decline. Seen this way, it is a public health alarm.
India occupies only 2.4 percent of the world's land but feeds about 17 percent of the global population. Food-grain production has increased from 82 million tonnes in 1960–61 to nearly 357 million tonnes in 2024–25. India is now the world's largest exporter of rice. The country runs the world's largest free food-grain scheme, providing 5 kg of free rice or wheat every month to 800 million people. Government warehouses are full of grain, and poverty has declined rapidly.
Despite all this, why does malnutrition persist, especially among children?
According to the National Family Health Survey (2019–21), 35 percent of children under five years of age are stunted, 32 percent are underweight, and 19 percent are severely wasted. This clearly shows that merely filling the stomach is not enough; food must also be nutritious.
The think tank's report states that excessive use of chemical fertilizers is the main reason for soil degradation. To improve nutrient content in crops, soil health must be restored, which requires rational use of fertilizers. Farmers need support to ensure fertilizer application is based on soil requirements.
Soil has been treated like a production machine.
About 75 percent of soils now have organic carbon content below 0.5 percent, severely reducing their ability to absorb nutrients.
Our constant push for higher production has exhausted the soil.
As a result, nutrients like iron, nitrogen, and zinc have declined. Over the past 50 years, zinc and iron content in crops has fallen by up to 30 percent. Reduced iron in soil ultimately leads to anemia among women.
Consequently, farmers' input costs have increased manifold, but production has not risen proportionately.
Emphasis should be placed on a 3P policy—Policy, Product, and Practice.
Fertilizer pricing should be structured so that it is available in the right quantity and at the right price.
Government support should reach only those farmers who genuinely need it, enabling scientific research, soil testing, and crop-specific fertilizer use.
When the biological, chemical, and physical health of soil improves, soil will become truly nourished. Only then can it produce grains that not only satisfy hunger but also keep people healthy.
Healthy soil is, in fact, a crucial issue linked to public health and India's long-term development.
Source: ZeeNews
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