Club of Rome meet to ensure food for all

Top agri-scientists, economists, bureaucrats and political leaders, meeting under the aegis of the Club of Rome (CoR), will develop a strategy to ensure food for all.

The CoR - a global thinktank focusing on a international economic, social and political issues - is organising their annual meet here Oct 30-31, through its Indian Chapter.

The country's top bureaucrat and cabinet secretary, Ajit Kumar Seth will deliver the inaugural address Oct 30, according to a press release of the Indian Chapter of CoR.

Founded in 1968 in Rome, CoR' mission is "to act as a global catalyst for change through the identification and analysis of the crucial problems facing humanity".

"In India, nearly five million newborns are affected by malnutrition every year. The CoR meet will act as a global catalyst for change for this crucial problem facing humanity," said Ashok Khosla, CoR's former president and chairman of Development Alternatives.

S. Ramadorai, who chairs CoR's Indian chapter, said: "It is only appropriate that we get India's best minds from the scientific, economic and diplomatic community... (to) put their heads together to address the challenges facing the 21st century inter-dependent world".

Shyam Saran, former Foreign Secretary and member of the National Security Advisory Board, and Harsh Mander of the Centre for Equity Studies will bring in their global expertise to build bridges between the haves and the have-nots.

Top economists Y.K. Alagh, chancellor of the Central University of Gujarat, and Ashok Gulati, chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), will be part of a session on Systems, Inter-linkages and Coherence.

HSBC's India head Naina Lal Kidwai and Fortis Hospital's chairman emeritus Harpal Singh will present their strategy to deal with the economic and social issues of food security.

An open forum Oct 31 will see K.M. Chandrasekhar, vice-chairman of the Kerala State Planning Board, interacting with political leaders Supriya Sule, Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Vir Jakhar for a food-secure future.

Senior leaders from the Indian Council for Agricultural Research, the National Dairy Development Board, the Department of Bio-Technology and the Gene Campaign will share their experiences and also learn from those of global organisations like Borlaug Institute for South Asia, National Geographic Society, The Nature Conservancy and the World Future Council.