AatmaNirbhar Bharat in agriculture can provide food for all in the world: Narendra Singh Tomar

New Delhi

India has the potential to become aatmanirbhar (self-reliant) in agriculture and also meet the food requirement of the world, said Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. 

Speaking during the session “Food for All: From Farm to Fork” at the third edition of LEADS 2022 — a global thought leadership initiative of the industry chamber FICCI — the minister said the country was steadfastly moving ahead in this direction. However, everyone must work together for the goal. "We would like to collaborate. I use this opportunity to invite the international community to join hands with us for the benefit of coming generations," he said.

Tomar noted that the country's agri exports had crossed the milestone of Rs 4 lakh crores. "We are working to increase it further," he said.

The Minister said that the government was constantly working to make the country aatmanirbhar. As a result, Indian agriculture recorded a robust growth of 3.9 per cent despite the pandemic. In addition, the minister reiterated that the government aimed to make Indian agriculture internationally competitive by aiding the small farmers in the country. He alluded to several government programmes to reduce farming-related challenges. "Due to increase in investment in basic infrastructures like irrigation system, storage, warehousing, and cold storage, Indian agriculture is expected to record robust growth in the coming years," he added. 

On occasion, Damien O'Connor, Minister for Trade & Export Growth, Agriculture, Biosecurity, Land Information and Rural Communities, New Zealand, alluded to the challenge emanating from climate change. "Agricultural emissions from livestock are a real challenge for New Zealand and food systems around the world. It contributes 35 per cent to the global greenhouse gas emissions and 48 per cent to New Zealand's emission profile." 

O’Connor also alluded to Global Research Alliance and encouraged Indian parliamentarians "to look at investigating partnering up with a Global Research Alliance" to gather global technologies "in a way that is not seeking to maximize commercial benefit but to maximize the climate change benefit from this collaboration."

Sanjiv Mehta, FICCI President and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) CEO & MD, said that achieving food and nutrition security was a multifaceted challenge. "Food systems can play a big role in protecting food security and nutrition if careful attention is paid to targeting the poor, reducing inequalities, including gender inequality and incorporating nutrition goals and actions were relevant."

Dr Anish Shah, FICCI Vice-President and Mahindra & Mahindra MD & CEO said that the world would have 10bn people by 2050. "Today, we do not have enough food to provide for everyone, so we have to do a number of things to feed everyone." He pointed to three themes that can help address the challenge. The first is partnerships to reduce carbon footprint and improve productivity. Second, adopting technology to transform agriculture, and third, inducing behaviour change. 

Sunny Verghese, Co-Founder and Group CEO, Olam International, said, the biggest priority is to help decarbonize.