Global South hit by food, fuel and fertilizer crisis due to conflicts: PM Modi at G20 summit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with US President Joe Biden and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, November 18, 2024. | Photo credit: PTI

Countries in the South are hardest hit by the food, energy and fertilizer crisis caused by global conflicts, and the G20 must give primacy to their concerns and priorities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday (November 18, 2024). . ).

In a speech on the first day of the G20 summit, Mr. Modi praised the group's Brazilian presidency for taking forward the people-centered decisions taken at the bloc's summit in New Delhi last year.

India's G20 presidency's call for “One Earth, One Family, One Future” continued to resonate during the Rio conversations, he said.

US President Joe Biden, Mr Modi, Chinese President Xi Jinping, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer are among the leaders attending the two-day summit at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro.

I would like to say that the countries of the South are the hardest hit by the food, energy and fertilizer crisis caused by global conflicts, he said.

Our discussions can therefore only be fruitful if we keep in mind the challenges and priorities of the South, he added.

The Prime Minister made the remarks during the G20 session on “social inclusion and the fight against hunger and poverty”.

The highlight of the opening day was the launch of a global alliance to fight poverty and hunger, supported by at least 80 countries.

In an article on India assures its full support to this effort. In his remarks at the session, the Prime Minister said that India believed in Back to Basics and Walk Forward approaches and that was why it was emphasizing on organic farming, popularizing millet and encouraged climate-resilient crop varieties.

Mr. Modi also called for reform of global governance institutions.

And just as we amplified the voice of the South by granting the African Union permanent membership of the G20 at the New Delhi summit, we will reform the institutions of global governance, he said.

Mr. Modi said the people-centric decisions taken at the G20 summit in New Delhi were implemented under the Brazilian presidency.

It is a great satisfaction that we have prioritized the SDGs [sustainable development goals]. We focused on inclusive development, women-led development and youth power, he said.

And gave wings to the hopes and aspirations of the countries of the South. It is clear that the idea of ​​“One Earth, One Family, One Future” is as relevant at this summit as it was last year, he added.

The theme of India's G20 presidency is taken from the ancient Sanskrit text of Maha Upanishad.

Speaking about India's initiatives to combat hunger and poverty, Mr. Modi said India has lifted 250 million people out of poverty in the last 10 years and is distributing free foodgrains to 800 million people. people in the country.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the steps taken by India to strengthen food security in Africa and elsewhere.

More than 800 million people receive free food grains; According to him, 550 million people benefit from the largest health insurance system in the world.

Now 60 million people aged over 70 will also be able to benefit from free health insurance, he added.

Maintaining our focus on women-led development and social inclusion, more than 300 million women microentrepreneurs have been linked to banks and given access to credit, Modi added.

The Prime Minister also spoke about India's crop insurance system.

Under the world's largest crop insurance program, more than 40 million farmers have received benefits worth $20 billion, he said.

Under the agricultural program, aid worth more than $40 billion has been provided to 110 million farmers. Institutional credit worth $300 billion is being extended to farmers, he said.

Mr. Modi said that India not only ensures food security but also focuses on nutrition. He said New Delhi also contributes to global food security by sending food items to various countries.

The main reason for our success lies in our approach: a return to basics and a march towards the future, he said.

We focused not only on natural farming and organic farming, but also on new technologies. We focused on sustainable agriculture, environmental protection, nutrition and food security by promoting Sri Anna or millets, he said.

The Prime Minister said India has developed over 2,000 climate resilient crop varieties and launched the digital agriculture mission.

India's digital public infrastructure has enabled social and financial inclusion. With the ambitious district and block project, we have created a new model of inclusive development that strengthens the weakest link, he said.

Mr. Modi began his visit to Brazil after concluding a two-day trip to Nigeria.