India Pledges to End Hunger on World Food Day 2025
India marked World Food Day 2025 with a significant commitment, aiming to end hunger and promote sustainable food systems. The celebration brought together various stakeholders, including government officials, UN representatives, development partners, and farmers, under the theme 'Hand in Hand for Better Food and a Better Future'.
India's journey in food security has been remarkable. Once a food-deficient nation, it has now transformed into a global agricultural powerhouse, feeding its 1.4 billion population. This transformation is attributed to policies like Minimum Support Price and public stockholding, which have ensured food access for over 800 million people under the National Food Security Act.
The event also marked the release of FAO's commemorative book 'Sowing Hope, Harvesting Success', documenting eight decades of collaboration between FAO and India. FAO played a crucial role in India's agricultural evolution, particularly in achieving food grain self-sufficiency and promoting crop diversification. India achieved this remarkable feat with less than four percent of the world's agricultural land and freshwater resources.
India's agricultural backbone comprises 146 million small and marginal farmers who have benefited from targeted interventions like stress-tolerant seeds and climate-smart practices. The government continues to focus on empowering farmers with technology and real-time information through initiatives like micro-irrigation, natural farming, and digital infrastructure like AgriStack.
As India commits to ending hunger and promoting sustainable food systems, it stands as a testament to what can be achieved with the right policies and interventions. The country's success story serves as an inspiration for other nations, although as of October 2025, no direct modeling of India's approach has been established in other countries. The global community continues to monitor developments in this area.
