Community food banks mooted

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, AUG. 27. The chairman of MSSR Foundation, Dr.M.S. Swaminathan, has suggested establishment of community food banks (CFB) at the village level as a move to end the paradox of ``grain mountains and hungry millions'' in the country.

Reacting to the Supreme Court's recent directive to the Government seeking action to end the paradox, Prof. Swaminathan was confident that it would be possible to reduce the level of poverty substantially through these banks.

Addressing mediapersons, Prof. Swaminathan said to start with 25,000 grain banks could be established with initial food supplies coming as a grant from the Governments and donor agencies, such as the World Food Programme. Later, such grain banks could be sustained through local purchases and from continued Government and international support. Based on the experience of the these banks, he said more banks could be established using the surplus stock available in Government godowns. The banks could function under the overall umbrella of the gram sabha and could be operated by local self-help groups. Involvement of local self-help groups would ensure their relevance to local conditions, in addition to low transaction costs.

Stressing the need for community involvement for the success of the scheme, he said countries such as Thailand and Cuba had reduced the infant mortality rate and improved the nutrition security of every individual through community-centred and controlled nutrition security systems. He warned that ``if we continued to remain silent spectators to the co-existence of grain mountains and hungry millions'' it would lead to social chaos, as agriculture was not confined to food production alone, but was the backbone of livelihood security system for nearly 700 million people in the country.

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