G20 Agri ministers conference: PM Modi urges global attention to food security

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the numerous problems confronting the agricultural industry around the world and urged the G20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting to hold discussions on collaborative measures to secure global food security.

PM Modi addressed the ongoing three-day summit in Hyderabad via video message, emphasising that the frequency of extreme weather events is increasing due to climate change, with the global South bearing the brunt of the consequences.

“Globally, agriculture provides livelihood for over 2.5 billion people. In the global South, agriculture accounts for almost 30 per cent of the GDP and over 60 per cent of jobs and today this sector faces several challenges. The supply chain disruption caused by the pandemic has been worsened by the impact of geopolitical tensions,” the Prime Minister said.

“Climate change is causing extreme weather events, more and more frequently. These challenges are felt most by the global South,” Modi added.

He said India’s policy is the fusion of “back to basics and march to future” even as the country is promoting natural farming as well as technology-enabled agriculture.

Modi said farmers all over the country are taking up natural farming by not using synthetic fertilisers or pesticides with a focus on rejuvenating mother Earth.

As reported by ANI, the government of India has initiated a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to declare the year 2023 as the International Year of Millets. This proposal garnered support from 72 countries.

Millets, commonly referred to as Nutri-cereals, encompass a group of small-seeded grasses that include sorghum (jowar), pearl millet (bajra), finger millet (ragi), little millet (kutki), foxtail millet (kakun), proso millet (cheena), barnyard millet (sawa), and kodo millet (kodon).

More than 200 delegates are now attending the three-day Agriculture Working Group (AWG) Ministerial Meeting of the G20 in Hyderabad, comprising Agriculture Ministers from G20 member nations, invited countries, and officials from International Organisations.

The purpose of the event is to encourage talks on agriculture’s priority sectors. Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, had previously announced in a news conference that important areas of attention would be addressed during the meeting, corresponding with the topics of this year’s Agriculture Working Group.