Need for ensuring food security in the wake of coronavirus outbreak in India: lessons from social and solidarity economy

Abstract

This paper provides a brief outline of the present state of food security in India and shed some lights on the medium to short-term policy imperatives through the lens of social and solidarity economy in this COVID-19 emergency period. Availability and access (or entitlement) dimensions of foodsecurity is considered as these dimensions bears short run linkages with the COVID 19 emergency situation. Doorstep delivery of food can be an effective means through which physical distancing can be properly maintained. Social and solidarity economic agents can be properly utilized in the process of home delivery of food and community kitchens. In addition to local level innovative solution to food security, this paper also highlighted the need for solidarity at regional (across states of a country) and global (across countries of the world) level as no regional boundary can be able to solve this human crisis with its own capability.