Impact of Population Growth on Nutritional Density and Food Security - A Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Ajay-Mayurakshi Interfluve, Birbhum District, West Bengal, India

Abstract

Food Security is undoubtedly a major concern and recently got topmost priority to the government. Over the various plan periods, our country has been working towards increasing agricultural production on one hand and developing an efficient mechanism for reaching food to every poor person in the most inaccessible conditions, on the other. The concept of Food Security implies that, all people at all times have both physical and economic access to the basic food they need (FAO, 1983). The study area selected for the present study is the interfluves of Ajay-Mayurakshi River, parts of Birbhum district in West Bengal. Geographically, interfluve of Ajay-Mayurakshi River is a part of ancient “Rarh Bhumi” of Bengal, having favourable agro-environmental condition. The proposed interfluve region is mainly rain fed and intensified by mono-cropped cultivation system, still suffers by inter-regional disparity in agricultural development. Though, the region has also a range of promising prospect in agriculture for the development of the proposed area. Growing population pressure has raised a considerable demand for adequate and quality supply of food. The present paper attempts to analyse the trends in population and its growth in the study area. It also discusses the pattern of nutritional density and food availability status during the last three census years. The major objective of the present study is to examine the trends in population growth and spatial distribution of the study area and to analyse the trends and spatial variations in nutritional density and identification of food surplus and deficit blocks within the study area. For this specific study modern methodology and techniques of interpretation will be taken into account for final inferences of the study.