Mr President,

I thank you for convening this Open Debate as all of our countries contend with the challenge of food insecurity, particularly exacerbated in recent years on account of multiple crises.  

 While the world was already struggling with SDGs lagging behind, the reversal of our gains on SDG2 i.e. zero hunger have stood out especially in the post COVID times. Food insecurity has been a major part of our global agendas in the recent past and rightly so. Climate change is also amongst the drivers of food insecurity. Countries such as ours where farmers are the backbone of our agricultural and rural economy, know very well the impact on crop yields and food prices caused by changing weather patterns. 

India has been at the forefront of supporting action-oriented steps at the global level in response to climate change, and our climate action efforts have been second to none.

While India will always be a champion for climate action and climate justice, I would also like to emphasize that climate change is interlinked with development matters and needs discussion in forums with universal participation. Viewing international peace and security through the prism of climate change could be misleading, and over-simplification of the causes of conflicts will not help in resolving them. Choosing to place the issue of climate change in forums other than the UNFCCC, especially those where all members do not sit on an equal footing, may undermine the larger cause of securing equity and climate justice.

Mr President,

Addressing global food insecurity should begin by choosing peace, cooperation, and multilateralism, and working together to find common solutions through dialogue and diplomacy. It is also necessary for all of us to adequately appreciate the importance of equity, affordability and accessibility when it comes to food grains. Open markets must not become an argument to perpetuate inequity and promote discrimination. Providing capacity-building support to countries facing challenges in designing, implementing, and monitoring food-related policies and programs is also of utmost importance.

At the same time, there is also the need to look for more resilient and viable options to meet global food security needs. Anticipating precisely such challenges, India has been championing the cultivation, production and marketing of millets, which are climate resilient and climate friendly crop for bolstering food security. 

Furthermore, during India’s Presidency, the G20 made ambitious commitments to enhance global food security and nutrition for all, in line with the G20 Deccan High-Level Principles on Food Security and Nutrition 2023, which include a range of responses to food security, from strengthening research cooperation on climate-resilient and nutritious grains, to accelerating innovations and investment focused on increasing agricultural productivity, and most critically to supporting developing countries’ efforts and capacities to address their food security challenges.

India’s G20 Presidency also saw agreement on a Green Development Pact for a sustainable future, which includes bold and ambitious commitments on climate finance, a clean, sustainable, just, affordable, and inclusive energy transition and mainstreaming Lifestyles for Sustainable Development (LiFE). India has set the agenda for the global discussions on globally just transitions and climate action. 

Mr President,

India has always been proactive in assisting our partners in times of distress. During the devastating period of the Covid-19 pandemic, India provided food aid to several countries, including in our neighborhood and Africa, to strengthen food security. We have also extended assistance to the people of Afghanistan, Myanmar and Palestine, all in keeping with our firm belief in the abiding ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the world is one family.

I wish to reiterate that, be it in the cause of addressing the challenges to global food security or in ensuring climate justice, India will not be found wanting.

I thank you.