New Delhi, Oct 16 : India's food security system is aimed at ensuring food and nutritional equity for 81 crore citizens, said the government on Thursday on World Food Day 2025.

World Food Day is observed every year on October 16 to promote awareness regarding access to safe, nutritious, and sustainable food for all. The theme this year is 'Hand in Hand for Better Foods and a Better Future'.

'Food security is ensuring that all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Achieving this requires not only adequate production of food but also its equitable distribution,' the government said in an official statement.

'India's food security architecture is anchored in a dual strategy of strengthening agricultural production and ensuring equitable distribution,' it added.

The country has made significant progress in addressing hunger and strengthening food security through a range of programmes and policies aimed at reducing malnutrition, alleviating poverty, and promoting agricultural sustainability.

With schemes like the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, complemented by flagship programmes like Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), the Decentralised Procurement Scheme (DCP), and the Open Market Sale Scheme ' Domestic (OMSS-D), the government leads inclusive distribution to nearly 81 crore people with affordable food grains.

The schemes also ensure price stability is maintained, and vulnerable households are protected from hunger and malnutrition.

At the same time, the country has also strengthened its production of wheat, pulses, milk, honey, and others with the National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in 2007-08, which was in 2014-15 was renamed as the National Food Security & Nutrition Mission (NFSNM), with a dual emphasis on food production and nutrition. While NFSM/NFSNM ensures higher foodgrain production for the Central Pool, the National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013, guarantees their equitable distribution.

'Over the last decade, India has recorded a rise of about 90 million metric tonnes in foodgrain production while fruit and vegetable output has increased by more than 64 million metric tonnes,' the government said.

'India now ranks first globally in milk and millets production and is the second-largest fish, fruit, and vegetable producer in the world. Honey and egg production have also doubled compared to 2014. The country has also made its mark globally as India's agricultural exports have nearly doubled over the past 11 years,' it added.

Other key government initiatives ensuring food security in the country include the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), Rice Fortification Initiative, Direct Beneficiary Transfer (DBT), Integrated Child Development Schemes, PM POSHAN (POshan SHAkti Nirman) Scheme, One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC), Public Distribution System (PDS), and Open Market Sales Scheme (Domestic).

'These government welfare schemes reflect India's continued commitment to ending hunger and malnutrition effectively,' the government said.

/IANS