Former ED of FCI, Sudeep Singh, on Strengthening India’s Food Security Policy

Former FCI Executive Director Sudeep Singh outlines crucial strategies for enhancing India's food security policy. He highlights the importance of institutional mechanisms, crop diversification, and technology adoption in ensuring a resilient food management system.

India’s food management system has long been central to ensuring national food security, stabilising markets, and supporting millions of farmers across the country. With decades of experience at the heart of this system, Sudeep Singh, former Executive Director of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), offers a grounded perspective on how policy decisions translate into outcomes on the ground.

Drawing from his extensive tenure in public food procurement, storage, and distribution, Sudeep Singh elaborates on the key lessons India’s food management framework holds for future policymakers, lessons shaped by institutional experience, operational challenges, and the evolving needs of both farmers and consumers.

Sudeep Singh emphasises that “India’s food management system has demonstrated the value of strong institutional mechanisms that balance farmer welfare with consumer interests.” Reflecting on his experience at FCI, he notes that transparent procurement processes, robust storage infrastructure, and timely distribution are not merely administrative functions but pillars of national stability.

According to him, “future policymakers must focus on strengthening coordination between central and state agencies, investing in modern supply chain systems, and ensuring that reforms remain rooted in the realities faced by farmers on the ground.” One of the most important lessons from India’s experience, Mr. Sudeep Singh points out, is the critical role played by robust safety nets.

Mechanisms such as the Public Distribution System (PDS) and buffer stock operations have repeatedly acted as lifelines during periods of uncertainty. During crises like the COVID-19 pandemic, these systems ensured uninterrupted food access for vulnerable populations, reinforcing the need for well-established distribution frameworks that can be activated quickly. For policymakers, this underscores the importance of maintaining institutional readiness rather than relying on ad-hoc solutions during emergencies.

He further highlights that India’s food security framework has become more outcome-oriented through concrete policy shifts. Programmes such as the National Food Security Act (NFSA), the Poshan Abhiyaan, and the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) have expanded the focus from grain distribution to nutrition delivery, especially for women and children. Reforms under the Public Distribution System (PDS), including, digitisation, and the One Nation, One Ration Card initiative, have improved access and reduced leakages.

At the same time, initiatives like fortified rice distribution, mid-day meals (PM POSHAN), Swachh Bharat Mission, and Ayushman Bharat are addressing the interconnected links between nutrition, sanitation, and healthcare. Together, these measures reflect India’s deliberate shift from ensuring food availability to building a comprehensive nutrition-security ecosystem.

Another area requiring urgent attention is the over-dependence on a narrow basket of crops. The Green Revolution brought undeniable gains in rice and wheat production, but it also resulted in regional imbalances, declining soil health, and increasing pressure on water resources. Mr. Singh advocates for encouraging crop diversification towards millets, pulses, fruits, and vegetables. Such diversification not only supports better dietary diversity but also enhances climate resilience and farmer income stability, especially in regions vulnerable to environmental stress. Technology, according to him, offers significant opportunities to improve efficiency and transparency across the food management system.

Initiatives such as the digitisation of ration cards, end-to-end computerisation of procurement, and the One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme have helped reduce leakages and improve targeting. Future policymakers, he suggests, should continue leveraging digital tools to strengthen accountability while ensuring that technology adoption remains inclusive and accessible to all stakeholders.

Addressing inefficiencies across the value chain is another key lesson. A considerable share of agricultural produce is lost due to inadequate storage, limited cold chain infrastructure, and insufficient processing facilities. Mr. Sudeep highlights the need for sustained investment in modern warehousing, food processing, and value addition. Reducing post-harvest losses not only improves system efficiency but also directly contributes to higher farmer incomes and greater price stability for consumers.

Finally, Mr. Sudeep Singh stresses the importance of aligning food management policies with long-term environmental sustainability. Current production practices often strain natural resources, making the system vulnerable to climate risks. He believes future strategies must integrate climate-smart agriculture, efficient water use, and soil health management.

Equally important is adopting a holistic, multi-sectoral approach where agriculture, health, environment, and social welfare policies work in coordination. Empowering smallholder farmers, women, and marginalised communities through access to credit, insurance, and technology, he adds, will be crucial for building a resilient and equitable food system for the future.