Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE) at National Agricultural Science Centre (NASC) Complex, New Delhi yesterday. The theme for this year's conference is, “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems.”

It aims to tackle the pressing need for sustainable agriculture in the face of global challenges such as climate change, natural resource degradation, rising production costs and conflicts. Around 1,000 delegates from around 75 countries took part in the conference.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed delight that the International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE) is taking place in India after 65 years. He welcomed all the dignitaries on behalf of 120 million farmers, more than 30 million women farmers, 30 million fishermen and 80 million animal keepers from India. “You are in the land which is home to more than 500 million livestock. I welcome you to the agricultural and animal-loving country of India,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister emphasized the longevity of ancient Indian beliefs and experiences about agriculture and food. He highlighted the priority given to science and logic in the Indian agriculture tradition. He mentioned the existence of whole science behind the medicinal properties of food.

Modi stressed that agriculture grew on the foundation of this thousands-year-old vision, mentioning ‘Krishi Parashar’, an almost 2000-year-old treatise on agriculture based on this rich heritage. The Prime Minister pointed to a robust system of agriculture research and education in India. “ICAR itself boasts of more than 100 research institutes,” he said. He further informed that there are more than 500 colleges for agriculture education and more than 700 Krishi Vigyan Kendras.

Highlighting the relevance of all six seasons in agricultural planning in India, the Prime Minister mentioned the distinct qualities of 15 agro-climatic zones. He noted that agricultural produce changes if one travels about a hundred kilometers in the country. “Be it farming on the land, the Himalayas, in the desert, water-scarce regions or coastal regions, this diversity is crucial for global food security and makes India a ray of hope in the world,” Modi said.

“Agriculture is at the center of India’s economic policies”, the Prime Minister underlined as he mentioned that the 90 percent of small farmers of India who own little land make for the biggest strength of India’s food security.

He pointed out that a similar situation is prevalent in several developing countries in Asia making India’s model applicable. Giving the example of natural farming, the Prime Minister said that the positive results of promoting chemical-free natural farming on a large scale can be seen in the country. He also mentioned a big focus on sustainable and climate-resilient farming in this year's budget as well as developing a complete ecosystem to support India’s farmers.

Highlighting the government’s emphasis on research and development related to climate-resilient crops, the Prime Minister informed that nearly nineteen hundred new climate-resilient varieties have been handed to the farmers in the last 10 years. He gave examples of rice varieties in India that require 25 percent less water than traditional varieties and the emergence of black rice as a superfood. “Black rice from Manipur, Assam and Meghalaya is the preferred choice due to its medicinal value”, he said, adding that India is equally eager to share its related experiences with the world community.