Editorial of the day (6 Aug) : India-Africa partners in Food Security

Context: The 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists is being hosted by India in Delhi.

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• India last hosted this event in Mysore in 1958 with then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The conference traces its roots back to India, with Lord L.K. Elmhirst, influenced by Rabindranath Tagore, as its founding president.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan are the chief and guest of honour, respectively.

Historical Background and Motivation

• The idea for the ICAE was inspired by Tagore’s concern for villages around Santiniketan in the early 1920s. Tagore envisioned using agriculture to revitalise rural India, a vision that eventually contributed to the formation of ICAE.
• Tagore’s vision was aimed for holistic rural freedom, emphasising education, scientific training, and cultural enrichment to uplift rural communities.

Significance and Goals of ICAE

• Global Food and Nutritional Security: The conference focuses on critical issues like the world’s food supply and nutritional security, which are exacerbated by climate change and geopolitical conflicts.
• India’s Agricultural Successes: Discussions highlight India’s achievements in the Green Revolution and the White Revolution, contrasting with ongoing food security challenges in Africa.
• South-South Collaboration: The inclusion of the African Union in the G20 during India’s presidency is seen as a step towards enhancing collaboration on agricultural and food security between India, Africa, and other southern nations.

Comparative Study of Indian and African Agricultural Practices

• Scope of Study: The session compared experiences from 20 major Indian states with 15 African countries from 2004-05 to 2019-20.
• Key Findings:
  • High debt service ratios in African countries lead to reduced agricultural spending.
  • African countries underfund agriculture relative to Indian states, impacting productivity and child nutrition.
  • Both regions invest insufficiently in agricultural R&D, which has high returns.
  • There’s a need to reform subsidies and focus more on infrastructure and R&D to boost agricultural growth and improve nutrition.

Global Food Security

• UN Goals: Highlighting the challenge of meeting the United Nations’ zero hunger goal by 2030 amid rising conflicts and climate issues.
  • Required Investment: An additional $21 billion annually needed to end global hunger by 2040, according to a study by the University of Bonn and FAO.
• G20 Impact:
  • India’s G20 presidency focused on food security and bioeconomy strategies.
  • Brazil, following India, continues to advance these themes, with China also launching its bioeconomy strategy.
  • The sequence of G20 presidencies (Indonesia, India, Brazil, and upcoming South Africa) reflects a shift towards addressing Global South issues, particularly in food systems governance.

Future Directions

• South-South Collaboration: Emphasis on strengthening South-South cooperation, particularly in adapting agricultural systems to climate impacts and transforming food systems through innovations.
• Role of G20: The sequence of G20 presidencies (Indonesia, India, Brazil, and upcoming South Africa) reflects a shift towards addressing the needs of the Global South in food system governance.

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