Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)

• FAO is a specialised agency of the UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger.
• Headquarters: Rome, Italy
• Founded on: 16 October 1945. World Food Day is celebrated every year on 16th October to mark the anniversary of the founding of the FAO in 1945.
• India is a member of FAO. Its sister bodies are the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
• Goal of FAO:

1. Achieve food security for all and accessibility;
2. Raise nutrition levels and standard of living by improving agricultural productivity.

• FAO Council approved India’s proposal to observe an International Year of Millets in 2023.
• Committee on World Food Security reviews policies of food production, physical and economic access to food. India is a member.
• Initiatives of FAO:

1. Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).
2. It monitors the Desert Locust situation throughout the world.
3. The Codex Alimentarius Commission or CAC is the body responsible for all matters regarding the implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.
4. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

• Reports:

1. World Food Price Index.
2. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI).
3. The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture (SOFIA).
4. The State of the World's Forests (SOFO).
5. The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA).
6. The State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO).

GIAHS (Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems) is a programme of FAO.

• It aims to protect Traditional Agri systems. It will not provide any modern technology and training.
• GIAHS aims to identify and safeguard eco-friendly traditional farm practices and their associated landscapes, Agri biodiversity and knowledge systems of local communities.
• GI is not given to traditional agri systems but given to products from a certain origin.
• Across the World, 37 sites are designated as GIAHS by FAO of which 3 are Indian = Saffron (Kashmir), Traditional Agriculture (Koraput) and Below Sea level Farming (Kuttanad).
• Other Indian Genetic Resources include Konamanu (TN), Agni Bora (Assam) and Pokkali (Kerala), Gucchi (Mushroom) and Bhalia Wheat from HP. Moringa (Drumstick) has micronutrients and sweet potato is rich in Vitamin A. Also, there are different pearl millets and sorghum rich in iron & zinc.

42^nd FAO Conference: India’s efforts in COVID 19

• Significant Policy and legislative decisions were taken during this period to liberalize agri marketing to transform Indian agriculture for the benefit of farmers and consumers.
• Special parcel trains with refrigeration facilities “the KISAN RAIL” were introduced by Indian Railways to transport the essential commodities including perishable horticulture produce, milk and dairy produce from the production centres to the large urban markets across our vast country creating a win-win situation for the producers and consumers.
• To improve the situation of our workers and to provide them relief during Covid Pandemic the Government of India launched the “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package”. Under this scheme, free food grains were provided to 810 million beneficiaries and now, in May, the scheme has been further extended in which workers will be benefited till November.
• More than Rupees 137000 Crore have been sent to the bank accounts of over 100 million farmers under the “PM Kisan” Scheme to provide income support to the farmers.