Degrading Land as a Constraint to National Food Security System

Abstract

In this article is presented a conceptual model of a National Food Security System ( NFSS). It is that any successfuINFSS,under the constraints of foodgrain shortages due to natural calamities such as flood, drought, and in desired production level, should supply to its population, particularly economically weaker sections, an adequate quantity of food grains to their self consumption commensurate with their purchasing power on long-term basis.

Since degrading land is the principal constraint for any foodgrain production advance, an over- simplified linearised model for the quantum of foodgrains for food security is suggested with degrading land as a constrained variable (in space and time), under a given set of Input and Management factors /conditions. The Input and Management factors include crop production factors, and foodgrain procurement, transport, processing, storage and distribution arrange- ments. It is hoped that this model, on optimization, would help setting a criterion for the purpose. As evidenced by the past experience a 15 and 20% limit of total foodgrain production for grainstocks and storage space may form the threshold value in planning to design a National Food Security System.