Page 4 - Food Security

Global food security at crossroads as rice shortages, surging prices hit

Francis Ndege isn't sure if his customers in Africa's largest slum can afford to keep buying rice from him. Prices for rice grown in Kenya soared a while ago because of higher fertiliser prices and a yearslong drought in the Horn of Africa that has reduced production. Cheap rice imported from India had filled the gap, feeding many of the hundreds of thousands of residents in Nairobi's Kibera slum who survive on less than $2 a day. But that is changing. The price of a 25 kg (55-pound) bag of rice has risen by a fifth since June. Wholesalers are yet to receive new stocks since India, the world's largest exporter of rice by far, said last month that it would ban some rice shipments. It's an effort by the world's most populous nation to control domestic prices ahead of a key election year but it's left a yawning gap of around 9.5 million metric tonnes (10.4 tons) of rice that people around the world need, roughly a fifth of global exports. I'm really hoping the imports keep coming, sa

India extending insights from its progress beyond its borders: US diplomat

India has come a long way from receiving US help to meet its food security needs to now becoming an exporter and is extending insights from its remarkable development progress to countries well beyond its borders, a top American diplomat has said. In her address to the US Indo-Pacific Command Chiefs of Defense (CHOD) Conference in Fiji on Wednesday, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power said investments in one country can often yield benefits in other nations. She applauded India's efforts to help other countries. Investments we make in one country can often yield benefits in others. Take food security. In India, starting in the 1960s, we worked with scientists and local farmers to develop and distribute high-yield, resilient seeds. Over the next two decades, those seeds helped to increase rice production in India by 50 per cent and wheat production by 230 per cent, ending a cycle of recurring famine and helping kick off a Green ...

Committed to depoliticise global supply of food: Indian envoy tells UNSC

Leveraging its G20 presidency, India is committed to depoliticising the global supply of food, fertilisers and medical products so that geopolitical tensions do not lead to a humanitarian crisis, the country's envoy to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj has told the Security Council. Observing that the global food insecurity situation is daunting, with an increasing number of people facing acute food shortages over the past four years, Kamboj said the international community must work together to find common solutions through dialogue and diplomacy. Leveraging our presidency of the G20, India has advocated for greater efforts to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), including SDG 2 calling for zero hunger," Kamboj, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations said in her address to the UN Security Council's Open Debate on Famine and Conflict-Induced Global Food Insecurity. "The Indian presidency is committed to, in our Prime Minister's word

Halted Ukraine grain deal, funding shortages rattle UN food aid programmes

A halted landmark grain deal that allowed Ukrainian grain to flow to countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, along with donor's fatigue, is rattling the operations of the United Nations food agency, its deputy executive director said Tuesday. What we have to do now is to look elsewhere (for grain) of course, Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program told The Associated Press. We don't know exactly where the market will land, but there might well be an increase in food prices." The WFP on Tuesday started reducing monthly cash aid for 120,000 Syrian refugees living in two camps in Jordan citing budget cuts, a decision that upset both refugees and Jordanian officials. The agency has said it would gradually cut off 50,000 refugees in Jordan from its assistance altogether. The program had initially covered 465,000 refugees. Syrian refugees in Jordan expressed frustration at the news, as they continue to struggle with finding work and high inflation rates. Th

Rice export ban: India can't lead the global south and not feed it

New Delhi's justifications for its decision are familiar: rising food prices at home, with a general election looming next year

India's food security under threat as climate change disrupts weather

India last week suspended exports of non-basmati varieties of rice after heavy monsoon rainfall damaged newly planted crops due to be harvested in winter

Implement food waste prevention programmes for food security: Amitabh Kant

India G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Thursday made a strong case for food waste prevention programmes globally to reduce food insecurity and mobilise private funding for research in sustainable agriculture. Kant was addressing the maiden Global Food Regulators Summit 2023 here. "This is the first time a meeting of this nature is being held during India's G20 presidency. We feel strongly that locally adapted crops are significant for the transition towards resilient agriculture and food systems," he said. To strengthen research, collaboration and public awareness of green crops, the G20 in its agriculture ministerial meeting, launched millet and other ancient grains international research initiative called Maharishi. The former bureaucrat said the world is passing through a critical time as one-third of the world is in recession, and 75 countries of the world are facing a global debt crisis. Also, there is a major crisis of food, fuel and fertiliser in several countries. "The need of t

FSSAI set to meet international regulators on food safety system

According to the apex food regulator, the food safety and regulatory system in India needs to constantly evolve to counter the emerging food hazards and pandemic scenarios

Concerns over food security grow as Russia warns to pull out of grain deal

Concerns are growing that Russia will not extend a United Nations-brokered deal that allows grain to flow from Ukraine to parts of the world struggling with hunger, with ships no longer heading to the war-torn country's Black Sea ports and food exports dwindling. Turkey and the UN negotiated the breakthrough accord last summer to ease a global food crisis, along with a separate agreement with Russia to facilitate shipments of its food and fertiliser. Moscow insists it's still facing hurdles, though data shows it has been exporting record amounts of wheat. Russian officials repeatedly say there are no grounds for extending the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is up for its fourth renewal Monday. It's something they have threatened before then have twice gone on to extend the deal for two months instead of the four months outlined in the agreement. The UN and others are striving to keep the fragile deal intact, with Ukraine and Russia both major suppliers of wheat, barley, vegetable

State Food Ministers to discuss kharif procurement, food security on Jul 5

Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal will chair the conference

District-level committees in Rajasthan to distribute free food packets

The Rajasthan government has decided to procure food items and distribute them to beneficiaries under the Annapurna scheme through district-level committees headed by district collectors, an official source said on Monday. Earlier, the cooperative department was given this task. However, the state government has now decided to do this through district-level committees. The Chief Minister Free Annapurna Food Packet Scheme was announced by Ashok Gehlot during the presentation of the state's budget for 2023-24 in February to provide relief to the masses from rising prices. "The district-level committee will procure items and will distribute the food kits," an official source told PTI. Under the scheme, which will be introduced soon, free food packets will be provided to families covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA). The food packets will be prepared and made available to Fair Price Shops (FPS) for distribution to beneficiaries. They will receive packets containing free

Expenditure on social sector: Turning social safety nets into trampolines

A look back at welfare spending is the first step to understanding Covid impact absorption and darning holes, if any, in the welfare fabric

PM Modi calls for deliberations on food security at G20 agri conference

Stating that the agriculture sector is facing several challenges globally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged the G20 Agriculture Ministers Meeting to deliberate on how to undertake collective action for achieving global food security. In a video message to the three-day meeting underway in Hyderabad, Modi said climate change is causing extreme weather events more and more frequently, and these challenges are felt most by the global South. "Globally, agriculture provides livelihood for over 2.5 billion people. In the global South, agriculture accounts for almost 30 per cent of the GDP and over 60 per cent of jobs and today this sector faces several challenges. The supply chain disruption caused by the pandemic has been worsened by the impact of geopolitical tensions," the Prime Minister said. "Climate change is causing extreme weather events, more and more frequently. These challenges are felt most by the global South," Modi added. He said India's policy is the fusion of

85% of target population got free ration in June, says Delhi minister

Eighty-five per cent of the target population was given free ration in June under the National Food Security Act, the Delhi government said on Wednesday. Chairing a meeting with the Commissioner (food and supplies), Delhi Minister of Food and Civil Supplies Imran Hussain said the department needs to put more effort to provide free rations regularly to the eligible population in a transparent manner. "Our government is committed to resolving public grievances related to the public distribution system in a timely and expeditious manner. I assure you no one will be deprived of free ration in Delhi," Hussain said. The meeting was convened to review the distribution of free ration under the NFSA and to assess the setting up of vigilance committees at the Fair Price Shops throughout the capital.

J&K secures top rank in Food Safety Index for third consecutive year

In a significant achievement, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) has maintained its first rank under the union territory (UT) category in Food Safety Index 2022-23.

Assam cabinet decides to expand food security net, changes income criteria

The Assam cabinet on Wednesday expanded the food security net by changing the income criteria so that families who earn up to Rs four lakh per annum can benefit from the scheme which gives subsidised food rations. This will add 40 lakh new beneficiaries this year. The cabinet, in a meeting presided by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, decided to amend the Assam Food Security Rules, 2022 to change the maximum income criteria from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 4 lakh per annum,Tourism minister Jayanta Malla Barua said at a media briefing. "This will enable more deserving families to apply for new ration cards which will be formally distributed in one day," he said. The Council of ministers also decided to set up an Adivasi Welfare and Development Council in accordance with the Adivasi accord signed on September 15, 2022, Barua said. The Council will address political, economic and educational aspirations, protect, preserve and promote social, cultural, linguistic and ethnic identities and en

Yemen's food insecurity remains serious threat, warns UN official

Despite the efforts of the UN and its partners, the problem of food insecurity in Yemen remains a severe threat, warned an official of the world body

'WTO not listening to developing nations', says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Sitharaman stressed that there was also a need to involve the private sector to step up investment and innovation

As war jams food supply, hunger now grips quarter of a billion globally

Some 258 million people across 58 countries or territories suffered food insecurity acute enough to threaten their lives or livelihoods in 2022

India stands firm at WTO: Our food subsidies ensure global food security

Under the trade norms, a WTO member's food subsidy bill should not breach the limit of 10 per cent of the value of production