India-Africa Partnership in Agriculture-CURRENT AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

The rich experiences of scientific farming technologies in India is bound to boost Africa’s world’s food basket, micro-financing institutions to grow better, by transferring Indian expertise in this field.

- AMBASSADOR DR. V.B. SONI*

As and when the world witnessed the food crisis in the past usually it was the continent of Africa that witnessed the maximum starvation deaths in history. Keeping that factor in mind the issue of food security was put on the agenda as one of the important Millennium goals.

Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted states that by 2030 hunger and all forms of malnutrition should be ended. This would be accomplished by doubling agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers by ensuring sustainable food production systems, and by progressively improving land and soil quality. Agriculture is the single largest employer in the world, providing livelihoods for 40% of the global population. It is the largest source of income for poor rural households

Other targets deal with maintaining the genetic diversity of seeds, increasing access to land, preventing trade restriction and distortions in world agricultural markets to limit extreme food price volatility, eliminating waste and ending malnutrition and undernutrition of children.

In this context India’s example and model is relevant. Agriculture is the dominant sector of the Indian economy, which determines growth and sustainability. The green revolution transformed India form a food deficient stage to a surplus food market. In a span of 3 decades, India became a net exporter of food grains. Remarkable results were achieved also in the fields of dairying and oilseeds.