NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Saturday said there was a time when India’s food security was a global concern whereas today the country is providing solutions for global food and nutrition security. He said agriculture is the core of the country’s economic policy and small farmers are the biggest strength of India’s food security.
Addressing the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE), Modi said India, being a food surplus country today, is committed to global welfare as a ‘Vishwa Bandhu’, noting that the country’s vision for global welfare was put forward on various fora including ‘One Earth, One Family and One Future’ (at G20), ‘Mission LiFE’, and ‘One Earth, One Health’.
The theme for this year’s ICAE is “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems” to promote sustainable agriculture in the face of global challenges such as climate change, natural resource degradation, rising production costs and conflicts. The six-day conference is being held in India after 65 years. Over 1,000 delegates from 75 nations are taking part in the conference.
Referring to ‘Krishi Parashar’, an almost 2,000-year-old treatise on agriculture based on India’s rich heritage, Modi emphasised the longevity of ancient local beliefs and experiences about agriculture and food. He also noted the priority given to science and logic in Indian agriculture tradition.
Modi also highlighted government’s emphasis on research and development related to climate-resilient crops, saying nearly 1,900 new climate-resilient varieties have been handed to the farmers in the last 10 years.
He gave examples of rice varieties in India that require 25 per cent less water than traditional varieties and the emergence of black rice as a superfood.
“Black rice from Manipur, Assam and Meghalaya is preferred choice due to its medicinal value”, he said, adding that India is eager to share its related experiences with the world community.
Addressing the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE), Modi said India, being a food surplus country today, is committed to global welfare as a ‘Vishwa Bandhu’, noting that the country’s vision for global welfare was put forward on various fora including ‘One Earth, One Family and One Future’ (at G20), ‘Mission LiFE’, and ‘One Earth, One Health’.
The theme for this year’s ICAE is “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems” to promote sustainable agriculture in the face of global challenges such as climate change, natural resource degradation, rising production costs and conflicts. The six-day conference is being held in India after 65 years. Over 1,000 delegates from 75 nations are taking part in the conference.
Referring to ‘Krishi Parashar’, an almost 2,000-year-old treatise on agriculture based on India’s rich heritage, Modi emphasised the longevity of ancient local beliefs and experiences about agriculture and food. He also noted the priority given to science and logic in Indian agriculture tradition.
Modi also highlighted government’s emphasis on research and development related to climate-resilient crops, saying nearly 1,900 new climate-resilient varieties have been handed to the farmers in the last 10 years.
He gave examples of rice varieties in India that require 25 per cent less water than traditional varieties and the emergence of black rice as a superfood.
“Black rice from Manipur, Assam and Meghalaya is preferred choice due to its medicinal value”, he said, adding that India is eager to share its related experiences with the world community.
