India’s G20 Presidency Highlights Food Safety Net Programmes, Says Agriculture Ministry

The official stated that the agriculture working group has managed to achieve historic consensus on two aspects namely, Food Security and Nutrition, and the Millet initiative, known as ‘Maharishi’.

Ministry of Agriculture’s Joint Secretary noted that G20 member nations have promised commitments towards avoiding any ‘unjustified restrictions which disrupt the global food supplies’.

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India said on Wednesday that it has successfully brought food safety net programmes ahead in it’s G20 Presidency and the agriculture working group has managed to achieve consensus on two aspects including millets. 

Smita Sirohi, the Ministry of Agriculture’s Joint Secretary heading the G20-related matters called the consensus historic as even though food security has been a key priority agenda, agriculture ministers have never managed to give out a separate declaration over and above the ministerial communication.

“This is really a historic moment where agriculture ministers have come up together to deliberate on the issue of food security and nutrition. It has come up with seven principles and agreed to champion these principles,” Sirohi added, while in conversation with PTI. 

Elaborating on the topics in which consensus was registered, Sirohi mentioned the Deccan G20 High-level principles on Food Security and Nutrition, and the Millet initiative, known as ‘Maharishi’. 

The government official added that the principles on food and nutrition included, humanitarian assistance, increasing food production and food security net programmes, climate-smart approach, inclusivity of agriculture food system, one health approach, digitalisation of the agriculture sector, and scaling responsible public and private investment in agriculture. 

Sirohi stressed the importance of such food safety programmes for developing countries like India. She said, “We have been able to create awareness and information campaigns among the developed world, that if India is insecure then the world cannot be food secure. Even in the past communique, from 2011 till 2020, before the G20 Indonesia Presidency, none of them find any reference to food safety net programmes to achieve food security. India ensured it got a reference on the importance of the food safety program last year and it was again emphasized this year as well.”

In addition to the food safety programmes, Sirohi stated that ‘biofortification of crops’ was also discussed in the meetings, along with regenerative agriculture, natural farming, and millets. Speaking on the matter of free trade between member states for agricultural commodities, the secretary noted that trade-related issues are subject to the authority of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). But the G20 member nations have promised commitments towards avoiding any ‘unjustified restrictions which disrupt the global food supplies’.

Sirohi stated that about six initiatives are currently being implemented while discussing the progress of agricultural initiatives adopted so far in the G20.