Geographical Analysis of Food Availability as a Dimension of Food Security among Tribal Communities in Nashik District, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Food availability is a fundamental dimension of food security and is shaped by household resource endowments, agricultural production and local geographical conditions. This study examines the spatial variation in food availability among tribal communities in Nashik District, Maharashtra. Primary data were collected from 607 tribal households in 48 villages across 15 tehsils using stratified random sampling. Five indicators were assessed: per capita land availability, per capita daily domestic food-grain availability, per capita daily milk availability, cropping intensity and the proportion of households with sufficient food every day. The indicators were normalised using the Min–Max method and combined through an equal-weight composite Food Availability Index. Average per capita land availability was 0.13 hectares, average daily food-grain availability was 553.64 grams per capita, average cropping intensity was 90.42%, and 88.28% of households reported having sufficient food every day. The index identified Sinnar, Niphad and Kalwan as high food-availability tehsils; Chandwad, Baglan, Yeola, Igatpuri and Nashik as moderate; and Deola, Peint, Malegaon, Surgana, Nandgaon, Dindori and Trimbakeshwar as low. The findings demonstrate pronounced geographical disparities in food availability among tribal households. These disparities reflect differences in land resources, agricultural productivity, cropping intensity, milk availability and household food sufficiency, indicating the value of geographically targeted food-security planning in the district.