New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday (November 5) said there is a need to shift away from those foods which add to climate change problem and opt for healthy foods that do not cause any harm to nature. President Murmu also expressed concern over hunger problem in many parts of the world and said the “large scale prevalence of hunger” is due to lack of distribution as the world is producing enough food. She was speaking here at the valedictory session of the World Food India (WFI) event, which saw an investment commitments of around Rs 35,000 crore during the three-day programme (November 3-5).
Also Read: Impact of Climate Change On Agriculture And Food Security
The first edition was held in 2017, but in consecutive years the event could not be organised due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
President Murmu said,
We must consider the environmental cost of what we eat. The previous generations did not have to worry on this count.
“The time has come when we have to choose our menu in a way that avoids any harm to nature,” she added.
The president called for shifting away from those foods that affect climate and moving towards environment-friendly menu.
President Murmu said,
We need to make conscious decisions to shift away from those foods that add to the problem of climate change and to shift towards the ones that are good for not only our health but also for the health of the planet.
Noting that food remains one of the basic necessities, the president said, “It is distressing indeed to realise that a substantial number of human being go to bed on an empty stomach in many parts of the world.” This puts a strain on the great economic and technological progress humankind has achieved, she said, adding that the world was producing enough food as crop yields have improved.
Food remains one of the basic necessities of life for every human being. It is distressing indeed to realise that a substantial number of human beings go to bed on an empty stomach in many parts of the world. This puts a strain on the great economic and technological progress… pic.twitter.com/0Xmvwz8lvj
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 5, 2023
“The large scale prevalence of hunger is not due to the lack of production but due to lack of distribution,” she asserted.
Also Read: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India Launches Eat Right Creativity Challenge For Millets
During the COVID pandemic, President Murmu highlighted that the central government consistently provided free food grains to poor apart from the subsidised wheat and rice. She said,
It was arguably the biggest drive of its kind.
Talking about the World Food India, the president said the event would go a long way in making the rich Indian food culture more familiar to the world.
The WFI would prove to be a great platform for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in this sector to better align themselves with big domestic and global companies, she said.
At the event, which saw participation from more than 80 countries, President Murmu said,
From a business perspective, India offers an exciting opportunity. Its fast growing economy offers a large market. Moreover, its rich knowledge base of agricultural and food processing offers lessons for our times.
The president highlighted that the first edition of this event attracted a large number of investment commitments and “Rs 22,711 crore of investment has been grounded or completed so far”.
In this second edition of World Food India, she said, the global investors must have found immense opportunities in India’s food processing sector. She said,
WFI has the potential to help India become a kitchen to the world.
President Droupadi Murmu graced the valedictory session of the World Food India 2023 in New Delhi. The President said that WFI has the potential to help India become a kitchen to the world.https://t.co/lEHQDvf47W pic.twitter.com/dDHxyZUbzV
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 5, 2023
Innovators and entrepreneurs would have found much opportunities at the event.
Food Processing Industries Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras said there is a great potential in this sector.
He said the food processing contributes 75 per cent to India’s total agricultural exports.
MoUs for investments of around Rs 35,000 crore were signed during the three-day event, Paras said, adding that the programme has been successful with the efforts of all the stakeholders.
On the first day of World Food India, a total of 16 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the food processing ministry and various industry entities. These 16 agreements amounted to a total investment of around Rs 17,990 crore.
Notable companies participating in these MoUs included Mondelez, Kellog, ITC, Innobev, Nedspice, Ananda, General Mills, and Ab Inbev, among others.
The second edition of World Food India aimed to showcase India as ‘food basket of the world’. The event provided a networking and business platform for government bodies, industry professionals, farmers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to engage in discussions, establish partnerships, and explore investment opportunities in the agri-food sector.
During the event, CEOs’ roundtables were held with focus on investment and ease of doing business.
Also Read: Sustainable Agriculture Key To Achieve Water And Food Security: UN Experts
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
