Just two years ago, Shakuntla Devi, a crop farmer from Bihar state in eastern India, was sinking into debt to meet household and food expenses.
She grappled with rising fertilizer costs, which didn’t leave enough money for food to feed her family of seven.
Devi is one of millions worldwide whose daily struggles to find food were worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. In India, as hunger levels spiked during lockdown and the economy tanked, 62% of households became food insecure.
Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
About the author
Neha Bhatt
Neha Bhatt is a Delhi-based, award-winning journalist who has been reporting on development, social justice, and culture for over 17 years, with a focus on policy, gender, public health, human rights, education, and the environment. Her work has been published in The Guardian, The Globe and Mail, The BMJ, Devex, Nat Geo, Al Jazeera, and Vice, among other international and Indian publications.
