Poverty and Food Insecurity Disparities and Their Causes in the Eastern Indian State of Odisha

This article discusses the key factors that influence poverty and food insecurity. The study involved 645 households in 4 villages of 2 districts (one developed and one undeveloped) in Odisha, an eastern Indian state. Odisha’s per capita income was taken as the dividing line for the segregation of districts into developed (more than average) and undeveloped (less than average). Poverty and food insecurity composite indices and probit and logit analyses revealed that: (a) in the developed district, education and caste are significant factors in determining the household poverty level, whereas education plays a vital role in the undeveloped district in deciding poverty level; (b) food insecurity is significantly affected by education, caste and assets in the developed district and by education and agriculture as the primary occupation in the undeveloped district; (c) education is derived as the common determinant of poverty as well as food insecurity; and (d) the inference drawn from the results is that, whatever the economy (developed or undeveloped), education was the most significant and common factor in determining both poverty and/or food insecurity at household level of the areas studied. However, it should not be misinterpreted that education is the only indicator that can resolve the complex issues of poverty and food insecurity. Based on area needs, a comprehensive approach with special focus on these significant indicators revealed from this research would be helpful in addressing poverty and food insecurity.