Renowned agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan called for empowering farmers with knowledge and skill to make India hunger free. “We need to cover the entire country with the right infrastructure and empower the farmer community,” said Swaminathan, chairman of the National Commission on Famrers (NCF). He cited the recent project launched by the prime minister making available Indian Space Research Organisation data for farmers across the country as an example of information dissemination.
“India is home to the green revolution and the white revolution, but we are in an unenviable position when it comes to food security as India has the largest number of malnourished children in the world,” Swaminathan said opening the regional round of consultations on “Mission 2007: initiatives for hunger-free India”.
World Food Programme (WFP) country director Pedro Medrano stressed the need for setting out clearly defined priorities in making India hunger free. “At one point, this country decided to be self-sufficient in food and it did it, setting an example for the rest of the world,” Medrano said.
Swaminathan suggested that the focus be on crop insurance, cotton, employment generation, women in farming, horticulture and knowledge and skill empowerment. “Cotton and textile sector provide employment opportunities to a large section of the society. The upcoming Multi Fibre Agreement can be an opportunity as well as a problem. We have to prepare for the new international trade system.
Medrano pointed out that India had no problems of human resources or financial resources. “It is only a question of priority.” You have sufficient quantity of food production along with a large number of (food distribution) schemes. All the elements are in place and yet India is home to the largest number of malnourished children in the world. It is not enough to achieve food security by increasing food production. Similarly, poverty alleviation is not the same as hunger alleviation. It is high time to synergise all resources if the goal is to make the nation hunger-free by 2007,” he said.
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