NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE) on Saturday, August 3. He highlighted Indiaโs role in addressing global nutritional security challenges.
Speaking to delegates from around the world, PM Modi stated, โJust like water, or other resources, nutrition is also a challenge. India, which is the largest producer of millet, can provide the solution to the global challenge of food nutrition. Black rice, for instance, is now consumed globally as a superfood.โ
Emphasizing the shift towards chemical-free natural farming, Modi reaffirmed Indiaโs commitment to achieving a 20% ethanol blending target in petrol.
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He reiterated Indiaโs vision for global welfare, referencing various initiatives including โOne Earth, One Family, One Futureโ, โMission LiFEโ, and โOne Earth, One Healthโ. Modi stressed that sustainable agriculture and food systems challenges can only be tackled through a holistic approach, stating, โChallenges before sustainable agriculture and food systems can only be tackled under the holistic approach of โOne Earth, One Family and One Futureโ.โ
PM Modi expressed Indiaโs readiness to share its millet resources with the world, noting that the previous year was celebrated as the International Year of Millets.
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โIn India, even today we plan by keeping in mind the six seasons. We have 15 agricultural climatic zonesโeach with its specialities. If you travel just 100 kilometres, agricultural practices change. This diversity makes India a ray of hope for global food security. Today, India is a food surplus country and the largest producer of milk, spices, and lentils. While Indiaโs food security was once a global concern, today India is finding solutions for global food and nutrition security,โ he added.
The conference was attended by Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmersโ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chauhan, NITI Aayog Member Prof. Ramesh Chand, Conference President Prof. Matin Qaim, and Secretary of DARE and DG, ICAR, Dr Himanshu Pathak.
