Abstract
Food system planning is currently gaining its importance globally due to the increasing trends of Food insecurity observed worldwide. As per World Bank, food security is often challenged by socio economic conditions, conflicts, natural hazards, climate change and pandemics. These challenges lead to disruptions in the food supply chain and consequently to Food insecurity. Assessment of the existing food system at a Global, National, sub-national, regional and a community level gives insight to the strengths and weaknesses in a food system. Assessment of the food system can be performed with the help of three determinants: Food Availability, Food Accessibility and Food Acceptability. Spatial assessment of these determinants and especially food accessibility can be performed to complete the overall assessment of the Food system. Although such assessments and interventions in food system planning are already being accomplished in some developed countries, such approaches remain passive in a developing country like India. This study attempts at developing a methodology for the spatial assessment of Food accessibility in the context of Kerala, a southern state in India. And for this study, the district of Idukki in Kerala is selected as the study area. Food accessibility which can be described as the economic and physical access to food is characterised by geographical access, affordability and convenience to acquire food. Through a set of case studies of similar food system assessments in Boston. Baltimore and Toronto, it was identified that a spatial assessment to measure Food accessibility can be achieved with the help of a Food environment map and spatial distribution maps of socio economic aspects of the population in a study area. A food environment map limited to Government run and aided food system networks is prepared for Idukki, based on available map layers. A set of socio economic aspects identified and selected from the case studies, which can be used in the context of Kerala were considered to prepare a set of spatial distribution maps. Physical and economic food accessibility maps are prepared and overlaid to obtain the Food accessibility map, showing areas with a lower access to food. A vulnerability assessment is also accomplished with the help of disaster susceptibility maps for the region in order to identify the vulnerable population and food system assets in the study area. The developed and tested methodology from the study can further be used to conduct similar food accessibility assessments in Kerala as well as India with further area specific modifications. Spatial assessment of food accessibility can also be supported with the help of household and retail surveys to obtain more realistic findings which can be used by policy makers and planners in food system planning to ensure Food security to all.
