WFP Deputy Executive Director Meets Agriculture Secretary to Boost Food Security Ties

Mr. Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer of the World Food Programme (WFP), called on Dr. Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW), at Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi, to discuss ongoing collaborations and new opportunities for strengthening food security at national, regional, and global levels.

Strengthening India–WFP Partnership

Welcoming Mr. Skau and his delegation, Secretary Dr. Chaturvedi underlined the importance of India’s partnership with WFP in advancing sustainable food systems and tackling global hunger. He commended WFP’s longstanding coordination with governments worldwide and reaffirmed India’s readiness to contribute to shared goals of food and nutrition security.

He shared Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of positioning India as a global food basket, highlighting the country’s path towards self-sufficiency and its role in ensuring food security for the Global South. He stressed that South–South cooperation remains a crucial pathway to achieving the larger objective of Viksit Bharat (Developed India).

Showcasing India’s Agricultural Innovations

Dr. Chaturvedi outlined India’s latest innovations in agriculture, including:

• Crop Insurance Reforms – leveraging digital platforms to enhance farmer coverage and minimize risks.

• Digital Agriculture & Traceability Systems – ensuring transparency in supply chains and boosting farmer incomes.

• Bio-fortified Crops – developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), aimed at addressing malnutrition and enhancing nutritional security.

He emphasized that such innovations not only serve India’s population but also offer replicable models for other developing countries.

WFP’s Perspective on Global Food Security

Mr. Carl Skau praised India’s remarkable progress in agriculture, nutrition, and social protection systems, noting their global relevance at a time when food security is under increasing pressure due to conflicts and climate change.

He highlighted India’s contributions in areas such as:

• Diversification and fortification initiatives,

• Women’s economic empowerment,

• Climate-resilient livelihoods, and

• Robust public distribution and social protection systems.

Skau stated that India’s experience and expertise could provide valuable lessons for other nations striving to strengthen their food systems. He also reaffirmed WFP’s commitment to deepening collaboration with India, particularly in knowledge-sharing, technology transfer, and best practice dissemination.

Expanding Global Cooperation

The discussions focused on expanding India–WFP cooperation beyond national borders to help other food-insecure regions. India’s capacity in producing fortified crops and surplus food grains, combined with WFP’s global humanitarian network, was seen as a powerful combination to tackle hunger worldwide.

The meeting was also attended by senior representatives from the Department of Food & Public Distribution, Ministry of External Affairs, Natural Resource Management (NRM) Division, DA&FW, NITI Aayog, and Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), underscoring the inter-ministerial coordination behind India’s food security efforts.

Looking Ahead

Both sides agreed that continued partnership between India and WFP could play a pivotal role in building resilient global food systems. By combining India’s innovations with WFP’s global reach, the collaboration aims to provide sustainable, inclusive, and climate-smart solutions to address hunger in the most vulnerable regions of the world.