India and ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Join Forces to Combat Global Hunger
As part of this initiative, the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) will enable ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳to supply fortified rice from India. The rice - regular rice enriched with essential vitamins and minerals - will help meet the food and nutrition needs of vulnerable populations in crisis areas around the world.
¡°India is committed to the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam ¨C the earth is one family ¨C and collective responsibility towards each other and their shared future. The country¡¯s humanitarian support for communities in need, facing food insecurity, is part of this approach,¡± said Mr. Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary, DFPD, Government of India.
This collaboration highlights the strength of global partnerships; by sourcing rice from India and leveraging its agricultural surplus, ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳will be better positioned to deliver life-saving food assistance and advance its mission to fight global hunger.
¡°We appreciate India¡¯s growing role on the world humanitarian stage and in efforts to end hunger. As a partner, they bring cutting-edge expertise, diplomatic and political influence, and massive scale,¡± said Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director, WFP. ¡°As the world faces continued uncertainty and worsening hunger crises globally, partners like India ¡ª ones that can combine agricultural surplus and innovation in distribution ¡ª will only be more essential.¡±
The agreement builds on ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Executive Board side event discussions earlier this year, where representatives from the Indian Government and ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳explored ways to collaborate. It lays the foundation for a reliable supply of food grains for humanitarian relief.
Participants discussed other ongoing projects with WFP, including supply chain optimization, fortified rice rollout, Annapurti devices ¨C automated machines that dispense grains like rice or wheat, Jan Poshan Kendra ¨C community-based centres focused on improving nutrition, Smart Warehousing technology and ¡®Flospans¡¯ ¨C large tents used to store food grains, along with other potential areas for future collaboration.
Also present were Mr. Ashutosh Agnihotri, Chairman and Managing Director, Food Corporation of India; Mr. Samir Wanmali, ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Ms. Elisabeth Faure, ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳Country Director for India, and other senior officers from the DFPD, Government of India.
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The United Nations ÐÓ°ÉÂÛ̳ is the world¡¯s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.
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