Many die of hunger every year in the world. Same is the case in Nepalese context. The growing price of living and the decreasing productivity challenged at every step of food chain has been one of the causes of food turmoil. How important is food? It is almost unnecessary to ask. But at times we tend to forget how important it is. However, it is not the same case for everybody.

Artificial food shortage may not be the greatest or the only reason of hunger but is surely one of the biggest factor of price hiking ultimately affecting the consumerism. Then, what exactly is the Artificial food shortage? Many food scientists and agriculturists define it as the shortage of food in terms of availability to common people but not in terms of production or accessibility. For example, when government provides subsidies to agricultural inputs, production increases. As a matter of fact, food is produced in surplus. This surplus food is stored by the sellers and fakes a food shortage. In turn they sell the food in black market at a higher price. Consumers are forced to buy at a higher price. Similarly, when food is too low in production and is likely to face a shortage, the sellers again do the same. They store food and fake the shortage and thus consumers are again at the loss.

The effect of artificial food shortage is not just the rise in price and decrement in food needed. It is slowly paralyzing the Nepalese society of common people and handing powers to unjust, unfair trend of factionalism. In addition to this, the social differentiation is increasing between the pro-poor, poor and the rich ones, the haves and have-nots, the power givers and the power seizers. It is rightly said that political instability creates food shortage at present but a time will come when food shortage will create political instability.

The hide and seek of injustice in food has to be stopped now. The political encroachment creating bigger holes in the policies and their implementation needs to be put to an end. The consumer?s right has been recognized as the biggest rights all over the world. Thus, education is needed to make consumers aware of the food provision and definitely the providers and sellers with better reinforcement.