National seminar on Food Security and Sustainability in India

Amritsar: Two days national seminar on Food Security and Sustainability in India organized by GAD Institute of Development Studies, Amritsar concluded here.

The seminar was sponsored jointly by CSIR, ICAR, ICSSR and NABARD. Dr. Sunitha Raju Chairperson, International Collaboration and Capacity Development of Indian institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi inaugurated the seminar and stressed that the number of people who are described hungry are increasing day by day which is the main problem not only in developing countries but also it is becoming a Global problem.

National policies should be aimed to ensure accessibility of required food aimed at every household level. She urged that two days deliberation should come out with the policies, which will definitely be a mile stone for future planning to make India food secure.

Dr Gursharan Singh Kainth, Director and organizing secretary of the seminar while welcoming the delegates stress that food and nutritional security are the foundations of a decent life. A sound education and indeed the achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals.

He further said that in recent past volatile food prices and the resultant economic crisis have put a question mark on the food security and its sustainability. More than 50 papers were presented discussed at the seminar contributed by various scientists drawn from different parts of the country. Dr Golan Rasul Head Division of Economic Analysis of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Katmandu, Nepal in his key note address brought out the food security issues in the context of mountain regions of Asia.

Dr R S Bawa, a noted economist in his presidential address pointed that productivity level of food grains in India are much lower and there is much scope for raising it. He further pointed that a sustainable policy framework is required where farmers get remunerative prices without raising MSP. Rural education building capacity of the farmers for value addition and efficient food management system are some of the key issues.

Dr A K Thukral, Director Research of Guru Nanak Dev University in his concluding remarks highlighted the demand for organizing such seminar on regular basis so as to formulate policies related o food demand and population explosion. Seminar comes out that sustainability of the nations depends upon evolving high yielding varieties of cereals only but also that of livestock, fishery etc.

Though India has sufficient food grain production of agricultural commodities particularly foodgrains but constant efforts are required for their proper storage and presentation which is neglected part on India’s food front. Stress should be given to maintain the soil fertility and not the growth of the plants.

The seminar concluded that India has sufficient food to meet the needs of the population but not the greed if it, the idea emphasis by Mahatma Gandhi.