President Droupadi Murmu calls for eco-conscious food choices and addresses global hunger concerns during the World Food India event, emphasising environmental responsibility
President Droupadi Murmu emphasised the urgency of transitioning away from foods contributing to the climate change problem during her address at the World Food India (WFI) event's valedictory session. She highlighted the need for sustainable, nature-friendly, and nutritious dietary choices.
Murmu expressed her concern over global hunger, attributing its widespread prevalence to distribution issues rather than food scarcity. While addressing the audience, she stressed the importance of considering the environmental impact of our food choices and urged a shift towards eco-conscious menus.
"The time has come when we have to choose our menu in a way that avoids any harm to nature," President Murmu said. She called for a conscious decision to move away from climate-damaging foods and embrace an environmentally friendly approach.
President Murmu also highlighted the significant role that food plays in human life, lamenting that many people still go to bed hungry in various parts of the world despite significant advances in economic and technological progress. She emphasised that the problem lies in distribution challenges rather than food production.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the central government provided free food grains to the needy and subsidised wheat and rice in what she described as one of the largest efforts of its kind.
President Murmu praised the WFI event for promoting India's rich culinary culture on a global scale and providing a platform for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the sector to collaborate with domestic and international giants. She highlighted India's growing economy as an exciting market and its wealth of agricultural and food processing knowledge as valuable lessons for the world.
The event secured significant investment commitments in the first edition of WFI, with Rs 22,711 crore already grounded or completed. The president noted the immense opportunities in India's food processing sector, declaring that WFI has the potential to transform India into the "kitchen to the world."
In conclusion, the event witnessed the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), totaling around Rs 35,000 crore in investments over three days. These agreements involved prominent companies, including Mondelez, Kellogg, ITC, Innobev, Nedspice, Ananda, General Mills, and Ab InBev.
The second edition of World Food India aimed to position India as the "food basket of the world," fostering discussions, partnerships, and investment opportunities within the agri-food sector. CEO roundtables focused on investment and ease of doing business were also vital to the event.