- The State Food Security Index (SFSI) 2022-2023 released by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) highlights the performance of Indian states in ensuring food security.
- The 2022-2023 index introduced a new parameter, ‘Improvement in SFSI Rank’, which assesses the state’s progress compared to the previous year.
- The weights of other parameters were modified to accommodate this change. The ‘Food Testing Infrastructure’ parameter measures the availability of adequate testing infrastructure with trained personnel in each state for testing food samples.
- This parameter saw the biggest decline, with the average score across all large states falling from 13 out of 20 in 2019 to 7 out of 17 in 2022 – 2023.
- In the year 2022-2023, Gujarat and Kerala performed best in this parameter while Andhra Pradesh performed the worst.
State Food Security Index
- It is an annual assessment that evaluates the performance of states and union territories on food security.
- The Index is a dynamic benchmarking approach that combines quantitative and qualitative analysis to provide an unbiased framework for assessing food security across states and territories.
- SFSI was launched in the year 2018-19 to bring competitiveness and positive change in the food safety ecosystem in the country.