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Towards Hunger Free India - Speeches
On behalf of the Trustees, Scientist and Scholars of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, I feel privileged to welcome the Hon'ble prime Minster and all the distinguished invitees to this consultation on "Towards Hunger-Free India", organized by our Foundation jointly with the Union Planning Commission and the United Nations World Food Programme. We are particularly indebted to our respected Prime Minister for sparing some of his valuable time to provide the policy guidelines essential for developing a strategy for achieving substantial freedom from hunger by August 15, 2007, which marks the 60th anniversary of our independence. In his inaugural address at the Indian Science Congress held at the IARI, New Delhi on January 3, 2001, the Prime Minister emphasized the need for eliminating endemic hunger as soon as possible, with particular emphasis on overcoming maternal and foetal under-nutrition which results in the birth of babies characterized by low birth weight. Such babies are handicapped at birth in brain development.
The Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Shri K.C. Pant, has been pleading for bringing food security into the forefront of our collective consciousness and to accord it priority in our development agenda. The United Nations World Food Programme is the largest multilateral agency engaged in mobilizing food aid, both for alleviating hunger and deprivation in the short term, and for fostering sustainable human development and human happiness in the long run. I am happy to extend a very warm welcome to Mr. Namanga Ngongi, Deputy Executive Director, WFP and Mr. Pedro Medrano, WFP Representative. We are sorry that Ms. Catherine Bertini, Executive Director of WFP could not be here today due to the serious illness of her father.
I extend my welcome to the Hon'ble Ministers, Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Members of the UN Family, distinguished administrators, Scientists and members of the Academia and all the other invitees. Your presence here is an index of the importance attached by all agencies, national and international, to the urgent task of ensuring that every child, woman and man in this country has an opportunity for a productive and healthy life.
The Union Planning Commission has already initiated work on the preparation of the 10th Five Year Plan. The Prime Minister has also urged us to leapfrog in all areas of social, human, economic and technological development. He has also been pointing out that seemingly impossible tasks can be achieved through a blend of political will, professional skill and peoples' participation. The green revolution is an example of the power of such a symphony approach. Agriculture determines the livelihood destiny of nearly 66 percent of our population. Hence its pivotal role in not only ensuring the food and ecological security of our country, but also in providing adequate opportunities for jobs and income, is obvious.
As an input in developing an operational blueprint for a hunger free India, the World Food Programme and MSSRF initiated work on the preparation of a Food Insecurity Atlas of Rural India over a year ago. This publication together with a book titled "Enabling Development: Food Assistance in South Asia" prepared by WFP will shortly be released. We hope they will be useful in the preparation of the Tenth Plan strategy in the area of sustainable food and nutrition security.
A unique feature of the Food Insecurity Atlas of Rural India is its holistic approach to the problems for hunger and malnutrition. The Atlas provides information on the availability of food, which is a function of production, access to food, which is a function of purchasing power, and absorption of food in the body, which is influenced by the quality of drinking water, environmental hygiene, primary health care and primary education. In addition, the sustainability of the food production process, as measured by the states of the ecological foundations essential for sustained high productivity, such as land, water, forests and biodiversity, as well as vulnerability to transient hunger caused by natural calamities, have also been considered. We are indebted to the members of the Steering Committee who guided this exercise and to Shri M.D. Asthana, Principal Adviser, and experts of the Planning Commission for their unstinted cooperation and sound advice. Above all, such a complex exercise would not have been possible but for the total dedication of the Leader of the Research Team, Dr. Swarna S. Vepa, Ms. R.V. Bhavani and their colleagues in MSSRF, as well as of Mr. Gerald Daly and his colleagues of WFP. Mr. Pedro Medrano served as the guiding light throughout this study.
The Food Insecurity Atlas of Rural India is not designed to serve as a collection of maps. Its primary value lies in the pathway for action it indicates. Thus, the critical role of non-food factors like livelihood opportunities, sanitation and environment hygiene in determining food security a the level of each individual becomes obvious. The Atlas indicates that jobs/livelihoods for all should be the bottom-line of our economic and trade policies. The findings also stress the need for serious attention to sustainability factors such as soil health, ground water management and crop rotations. If there is complacency in this area, Punjab and Haryana, which currently serve as national breadbaskets, may become food insecure in another 15 to 20 years. A mindset which leads to the belief, "economic growth now and care of the environment later" will lead us to an era of agricultural disaster.
The Atlas reveals that every State has its strengths and weaknesses in the matter of working towards freedom from hunger. The challenge lies in maximizing the strengths and removing the weaknesses on the basis of a Food Security Balance Sheet at the State level. Above all, there is need for urgent attention to generating more on farm and non-farm livelihoods in rural areas, with particular emphasis on a transition from unskilled to skilled jobs. The new economy triggered by knowledge and information provides opportunities for new employment, particularly in the area of environmental enterprises. We should take advantage of these opportunities and thereby avoid the further enlargement of genetic, gender and digital divides.
Success or failure in eliminating endemic and transient hunger will ultimately depend upon our success in ending both unsustainable lifestyles and unacceptable poverty. I hope with the guidance of our respected Prime Minister, we can develop an implement able plan of action to realize Gandhiji's vision of a hunger-free India.
I welcome you all once again.
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