Changing Indian Diets Paper Example

India is a country that has faced significant food challenges over the past years, that has affected the overall food security in the country. Major historical events, like the Bengal Famine which occurred in 1943, had a major impact on the diet that the Indian people acquired in the mid-twentieth centuries (Plummer, 2017). However, major changes have been witnessed in the Indian diets, and a majority of factors influences the changes. These factors include food prices, cultural traditions, income, beliefs, individual preferences, social factors, demographic and environmental factors, among others (Apostolidis & McLeay, 2016). Some factors such as the environmental factors have had significant impacts on the food security experienced in India. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the ramifications that the changing food diets in India have had on food security.

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Food security is a subject which can be described using four pillars. These pillars include availability, utilisation, access and stability of food products (Millett & Subramanian, 2014). However, the changing Indian diets have a major blow on the food security of India regarding availability. For instance, Indians have been known to be the most vegetarian country ever. According to recent dietary changes, the country is required to use most of its groundwater for irrigation purposes of wheat, feeding of dairy cattle, among other types of diets which are currently adopted by Indians (Green, 2016). However, these new types of foods which are acquired by Indians require large volumes of water for their cultivation which will eventually deplete the water sources of India, hence affecting the growth of plants necessary for feeding the increasing Indian population (Upadhyay, 2011). Due to the depletion of groundwater, food availability will be significantly affected.

Malnutrition is a phenomenon which has been observed in most Indian children in the past years. A lack of proteins causes malnutrition among Indian children as in the past vegetable consumptions characterised Indian diets (Ann, 2017). In light of this, the country saw the need for consuming more proteins for boosting the health of its nation. The country citizens acquired livestock from where they could derive proteins, in the form of the livestock products (Sapkota, et al., 2017). However, livestock farming is one of the most common sources of greenhouse gases which affect the agricultural field, that ensures the food availability and security of the Indian people. Greenhouses gases affect the climatic conditions which in turn affects the weather patterns of the country (Springmann, et al., 2016). Changing the rain patterns will affect the agricultural sector, responsible for ensuring food security in the country.

Dietary changes in India have led to reduced efforts and labour needed in the agricultural fields (Finnin, 2016). The nutritional changes make many Indians today acquire Westernized foods rather than the traditional foods which were obtained from the agricultural fields in India. The reduced demand for labour in the farming fields is leading to unemployment in a majority of Indians who move to the urban areas seeking job opportunities. As a result, food insecurity results as the migrants to the urban centres do not have adequate income to have access to a nutritious and ample amount of food (Mondal, 2010). Food stability, a feature of food security, is significantly affected. Slums are also formed as a result and its researched that slums have difficulty in accessing clean and nutritious food (Smith, 2013). The changing diets in India have, therefore, affected significantly the rural areas where agriculture was initially practised, and providing a lot of employment opportunities for Indians.

Several differences exist between the Indian and American cuisines. For instance, an Indian diet is characterised by a majority of ingredients that are less processed and are made from traditional methods of farming while the Western countries apply many processed ingredients chemically made from food-based industries (Anon., 2015). Another second difference is the mode of feeding of food. Indians prefer a family sit-down or friend sit-down while consuming food while Americans grab food on their own while they are on their day to day activities. The second difference which is observed between these two types of cuisines is that the Indian diet is based on lots of traditionally produced vegetables and spices while American food is associated mainly with meat and potatoes regarding nutrition (Alexander, et al., 2016). American food is more nutritious which accounts for the difference in health observed between these two vast regions. Food security in America is more pronounced than in India due to a majority of reasons, for instance, the ones discussed in the above section of this outline.

Several recommendations have however been put in place to ensure that food security is obtained in India. For instance, crops which lead to the depletion of underground water for irrigation should be abolished, and grains such as rice should be obtained that require less water for irrigation (Chiarelli, et al., 2018). As such, water will always be available for irrigation ensuring production of food that will be able to sustain the increasing Indian population. Secondly, minimum prices for food products should be allowed by the government of India to ensure that people have access to food which is a parameter for food security (Anon., 2016).

Conclusion

Lastly, it is evident that the changing diets in India over the past years' poses a great danger to the food security of Indians. The adopted diets have led to climatic changes which affect agriculture as it has been discussed in the paper. There is also a great variance in the diets of Americans and Indians which can explain the difference in health status between the two nations and the state of food security. However, the government of India should involve itself in ensuring that food security in its country is obtained. The main question is: What should Indians do to ensure that food security is realised in their country?

References

Alexander, P. et al., 2016. Human appropriation of land for food: The role of diet. Global Environmental Change, pp. 88-98.

Ann, O., 2017. Differences Between American And Indian Food. [Online] Available at: http://www.annonline.com/american-and-indian-food/[Accessed November 2018].

Anon., 2015. Environmental impact of dietary change: a systematic review. Journal of Cleaner Production, pp. 1-11.

Anon., 2016. Changes in milk composition in obese rats consuming a high-fat diet.. British Journal of Nutrition, pp. 538-46.

Apostolidis, C. & McLeay, F., 2016. Should we stop meating like this? Reducing meat consumption through substitution. Food Policy, pp. 74-89.

Chiarelli, D., Chhatre, R. & Singh, R., 2018. Alternative cereals can improve water use and nutrient supply in India.. Science advances, p. 7.

Finnin, M. S., 2016. Food Security in India, China, and the World. Institute for Defense Analyses, p. 55.

Green, R., 2016. Dietary patterns in India: a systematic review. British Journal of Nutrition, pp. 142-48.

Millett, A. & Subramanian, D., 2014. Type of vegetarian diet, obesity and diabetes in adult Indian population.. Nutrition journal, p. 89.

Mondal, P., 2010. Food Security in India: Definition, Availability of Food Grains and Other Details. [Online] Available at: http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/foods/food-security-in-india-definition-availability-of-food-grains-and-other-details/32148[Accessed November 2018].

Plummer, L., 2017. 50 Years of Food in India: Changing Eating Habits of a Rapidly Changing Nation (of Foodies)!. [Online] Available at: https://www.thebetterindia.com/98604/india-eating-habits-food-50-years-culture/[Accessed November 2018].

Sapkota, V. et al., 2017. Greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural food production to supply Indian diets: Implications for climate change mitigation.. Agriculture, ecosystems & environment, pp. 234-241.

Smith, L. C., 2013. The Great Indian Calorie Debate: Explaining Rising Undernourishment during India's Rapid Economic Growth. Institute of Development Studies, p. 35.

Springmann, M., Godfray, C. J., Rayner, M. & Scarborough, P., 2016. Analysis and valuation of the health and climate change cobenefits of dietary change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, pp. 4146-51.

Upadhyay, P., 2011. Challenges in Achieving Food Security in India. Iran J Public Health, pp. 31-36.