Consensus likely on sustainable food production, millet research

A joint effort for sustainable food production through support to grain-importing developing countries and a global initiative for boosting research on millets and other coarse grains are likely to be part of G20 outcome document, as consensus has been achieved on these issues, sources said.

However, an agreement on allowing unbridled global food trade despite geopolitical tensions like Ukraine-Russia conflict is unlikely. Also, while the G20 Bali summit declaration last year denounced the trend of imposition of export restrictions on food and fertilisers by many countries, further concrete action on this is doubtful at this juncture.

Russia-Ukraine conflict since last year had disrupted the fertiliser and food grains supplies globally and Russia recently decided against renewing black sea grain deal. India, as one of the largest producers of foodgrains, had banned wheat exports last year and put bans/export taxes on the several varieties of rice, in order to increase domestic supplies.

After taking over the presidency of G20 last year at Bali, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for depoliticising the global supply of food and fertilisers so that geo-political tensions do not lead to humanitarian crisis

Sources told FE that the agriculture minister’s group, part of G20, recently had recognised challenges to global food security, and persistence of all forms of malnutrition aggravated by climate change, geopolitical tension and conflicts and other systemic shocks. It sought concerted actions to achieve ‘zero hunger’ as per the sustainable development goals-II by the 2030.

The 18th G20 summit here is likely to reiterate thrust on climate resilient agriculture which uses existing natural resources sustainably in crop and livestock production systems to achieve higher long-term productivity and farm income in the face of climate change.

An official said that thrust on increasing global food production, food safety net programmes, climate-smart approaches, one-health approach, digitization of the agriculture sector and increasing investment from public and private sector in agriculture is likely to be included in the final summit document.

Collaboration on developing sustainable, scalable and inclusive technologies, practices and innovations to address climate change and biodiversity loss, may for part of the G20 outcome.

At present, consensus has been achieved on the ‘Deccan G20 High-Level Principles on Food Security and Nutrition’ and millet initiative called Maharishi – Millets And Other Ancient Grains International Research Initiative.

In 2011, the Agriculture Deputies Group, was created during France’s G20 presidency to deal with volatility in global food prices. It has emerged as a key forum to enhance cooperation among G20 members on food security and nutrition due to challenges posed by Covid-19 pandemic and Russia-Ukraine conflict in recent years.

Since its launch in 2011, the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), an inter-agency platform to enhance food market transparency and policy response for food security, was launched following the global spike in food prices during 2008 – 2010.

AMIS based in Rome, focuses on wheat, maize, rice, and soybeans — and provides a platform to coordinate policy action in times of market uncertainty.

The aspect of ‘agriculture and food security’, and especially the threat of climate change on food production appeared for the first time on the G20 agenda in the Pittsburgh summit in 2009.