Impact of Casual and Permanent Off-Farm Activities on Food Security: The Case of India

Abstract

India is the largest producer of food grains, dairy commodities and horticultural crops and largest exporter of rice, beef and cotton. But the country, at the micro-level, still struggles with extensive and deep-rooted problems with food security. The Planning Commission notes that 22% of the 1.2 billion Indians are still living in poverty. This chapter assesses the impact of off-farm income and labour allocation (both casual and permanent off-farmwork), and decisions on food security of smallholder households in India. Promoting food distribution schemes and female education would bring about further reduction of food insecurity among rural households. We found that off-farm activities and off-farm business income reduce food insecurity of rural Indian households. Spouse’s casual off-farm work status had a negative impact on household’s food insecurity-increased food security; operator’s casual off-farm work status had a positive impact on household’s food insecurity- increased food insecurity. However, food insecurity of households increased if both operator and spouse worked casually off the farm.