UN’s International Fund of Agricultural Development (IFAD) has extended commendations to India for its concerted efforts to renew emphasis on millet cultivation and its export of a substantial 1.8 million tonnes of wheat to food-deprived countries in 2022, amidst the widespread conflict in Ukraine.
In a recent interview with PTI, IFAD president Alvaro Lario lauded India’s potential to enact pivotal transformations in global food systems, particularly given its imminent G20 presidency and alignment with UN’s core focus areas. India’s agricultural proficiency could provide significant guidance to spur rural development and enhance agricultural practices across the Global South.
Drawing attention to India’s initiative to revive millet farming, Lario applauded the crop’s capacity to withstand droughts and its considerable nutritional value, factors that make it an excellent food source for disadvantaged and isolated regions. The resurgence of millet, one of the world’s oldest cultivated grains, taps into its multiple health benefits including niacin-rich content, excellent source of beta-carotene, and its role in controlling blood sugar, boosting digestive health, and heart protection. Because of its high level of magnesium, millet is a great food for women who suffer from unbearable pain and cramps during their menstrual cycle.
The president also underscored the urgent necessity of global food system reform amidst severe disruption due to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and the Ukraine conflict. The Ukraine conflict, in particular, has led to a global surge in food and fuel prices, adversely affecting the world’s most vulnerable communities. In this context, India’s focused approach towards global food security and nutrition; climate-smart agriculture; pro-poor and inclusive value chains; and smart, digitally powered solutions aligns harmoniously with IFAD’s objectives.
Lario estimates that a substantial $300 billion to $350 billion per year would be necessary to revamp global food systems, a figure that pales in comparison to the over 3% annual loss incurred due to the inefficiencies in the current system and the 0.5% of the global GDP. This funding, he opines, could be optimally utilised with IFAD’s expert guidance and government partnerships to streamline public investment and allure private investors to food systems.
The president emphasised the importance of climate finance, asserting its crucial role in aiding emission reductions and facilitating economic adaptation to climatic changes. Despite small-scale producers being responsible for supplying up to 70% of food consumed in low and middle-income countries, they received a scant 1.7% of climate finance between 2017 and 2018. Lario’s comments highlight the urgent need to realign resources with the sectors that are truly vital to global food security.
Overall, the resurgence of millet cultivation in India and its commitment to aiding global food shortages has set a promising precedent, affirming the potential of ancient grains and collective action in addressing urgent global crises.
