Severity of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Regional Heterogeneity, and Food Insecurity: The Case of India

In India, no state or union territory has been spared by the pandemic, especially in the second wave, but the spread of infections has been disproportionate, and the policy response and outcomes have been varied. This chapter examines the inequalities in the incidence (using number of infections and deaths as a measure) and severity (using relative severity ratio as a measure) of the pandemic across states and union territories of India over time. There are observed differences in the infections, deaths, and severity indicators — higher for the richer states compared to the relatively poor regions — and are explained using socioeconomic, meteorological, and geographical factors. The interplay between affluence and the concomitant urbanization, environmental risks, and comorbidities, which have been found to be associated with higher fatality rates, cannot be ruled out. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the global economy and the food systems, posing a significant threat to the food security of people across the world. India’s food markets have been significantly impacted by the spread of COVID-19, facing both demand and supply shocks, thus impacting the quantity of food available at wholesale and retail markets and the price at which it sells. There is also evidence of rising food expenditure shares across income deciles and social groups in rural and urban India. Considering the plight of small and marginal farmers when introducing agricultural market reforms and boosting aggregate demand, especially among the deprived, could possibly reduce the pandemic-driven food insecurity in the country. As there is continuing uncertainty about how the COVID-19 epidemic will pan out in the near future, the need for enforcement of safety protocols emphasizing prevention, dissemination of accurate information regarding treatment, promotion of vaccination through community engagement and collaboration between the government and civil society organizations is vital.