Food Security and Small Landholders in South Asia

This paper surveys the status of food security in the South Asian countries, particularly India. Particular attention has been paid to small landholders (those households owning less than 2 hectares of land). Using NSS data from 1993-94 and 2004-05 the paper shows that small landholders are an increasing proportion of i) total rural households, ii) rural households who are poor, and iii) rural households who are undernourished. The paper then singles out five disconnects in India’s recent economic performance as constituting the reason for this outcome. It advances some policy conclusions on how these disconnects can be addressed