Food consumption, nutrient intake and agricultural production in India

Using food consumption data from the National Sample Survey Organization and the National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau, this paper assesses the nutritional impact of this improved situation on the poor. The first section briefly assesses changes in food consumption in India from 1952 to 1982-83, discusses the relationship between changes in food consumption and changes in foodgrain production, and addresses policy issues relating to food, nutrition, and agriculture. Tables and figures provide supporting data. The second half consists of lengthy appendices which: (1) review Indian food consumption, poverty, and nutrition studies; (2) detail the analytical methodology used by the study; (3) describe the basic consumer behavior model; and (4) present tables on the consumption of basic commodities, per capita nutrient intake, and the poverty rate. The main conclusion is that food consumption and nutritional intake remained roughly constant over the period studied for the rural poor and actually declined for the urban poor. A total of 165 references (1937-86) are cited.