India has one of the highest levels of malnutrition in the world. To address this, the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) today, announced that it would take up the Zero Hunger challenge and recommend to the Ministry of Agriculture to push for an International Year of Underutilized Crops.

Ragi’, all along considered to be a poor man’s diet, has now been given the flavor and soul so that anybody can enjoy this highly nutritious cereal in a way they wish to consume it.

“M S Swaminathan, in conversation with Nitya Rao – The Ethics and Politics of Science” explores the inter-relationship between science, humanity and policy through conversations between Professor M S Swaminathan and his daughter Dr Nitya Rao (Professor of Gender and Development, University of East Anglia, UK) in May 2014.

Every student should become a hunger fighter to overcome malnutrition in the country, said noted scientist, Professor M S Swaminathan, Founder, MSSRF.

Sometimes the simplest of solutions can have the most effective results for nutrition.

A series of communication technology initiatives that have helped over one lakh fisherfolk across Tamil Nadu, Andhra and Odisha access information for better livelihood, safety, access to markets and schemes is now set to roll out in Kerala. 

For every 8 people in the world, one person goes to bed hungry.

In a situation, where less than 20% of youth are involved in agriculture, making farming financially viable and attractive to youth, is the key to attracting them, said experts at a consultation at M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Chennai today.

When Pratishtha Prakash Bhere, woman farmer from Maharashtra spoke she needed a translator for the 300-plus international audience to understand.

The need to have a co-ordinated approach to across the Asia Pacific region to tackle hunger and malnutrition, was the main theme that emerged from the speakers at the International Conference on Family Farming on achieving the Zero Hunger Challenge held at M S Swaminathan Foundation in Chennai today.

Chennai, August 7, 2014: Ministerial delegates from the Asia-Pacific Region and over 200 senior diplomats, academicians and representatives from international and national organizations gather in Chennai today, for a four-day consultation on “Achieving the Zero Hunger Challenge” at M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF). The consultation is organized in the context of the UN “International Year of Family Farming” (IYFF) being observed this year. MSSRF is organizing the event in partnership with Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, World Food Programme (WFP), International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD), Department for International Development (DFID) UK, UN Women, Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium other national and international agencies. Key Speakers at the Consultation include: Kanayo F. Nwanze, President of IFAD Ertharin Cousin Executive Director, United Nations World Food Programme Hiroyuki Konuma, FAO Regional Representative for Asia-Pacific Shenggen Fan, Director General, IFPRI Estrella Penunia, Secretary General, Asian Farmers’ Association Dr Mahmoud Solh, ICARDA, Director General Hoonae Kim, Director Asia and the Pacific, IFAD Ms. Lise Grande, UN Resident Coordinator & UNDP Resident Representative in India Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, Emeritus Chairman and Chief Mentor, MSSRF Dr. Rebecca Reichman Tavares, Regional Representative, UN Women Dr. Pravesh Sharma, Managing Director, SFAC Mr. Torben Due, India Country Director, WFP Dr. Peter E. Kenmore, Representative in India, FAO Thiru Agri S. S. Krishnamoorthy, Agriculture Minister, Tamil Nadu delivers a special address and releases the report of MSSRF for the year. Speaking about the event recently, Professor M S Swaminathan, Founder and Chief Mentor, MSSRF, referred to this as “the largest-ever gathering of ministerial delegates and experts, in recent years” and emphasized the importance of the IYFF. “Family farming offers an effective and economic solution to help meet the challenge of making sure that each person has access not just to calories but to nutritious food. With an estimated 500 million family farms across the world, we are looking at the role 2 billion people play, in achieving nutrition security.” The conference consists of 5 plenary sessions dealing with themes of sustainability, gender, profitability, nutrition and technology in relation to family farming. State Agriculture Minister Thiru Agri Krishnamurthy, ministers /ministerial delegates from Afghanistan, Australia, Cambodia, Fiji, Maldives, Nepal, Samoa, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are participating. With an estimated 8 billion mouths to feed by 2025, experts at the consultation will come up with a Chennai Declaration with recommendations for Governments and stakeholders in the region. Established in 1988, with proceeds from the First World Food Prize that Professor Swaminathan received in 1987, MSSRF applies science and technology options to address practical problems faced by rural populations in agriculture, food and nutrition, impacting livelihood of 100,000 farmers and fisherfolk every day with influence that spreads across 18 countries. For more information contact: Jayashree, Head – Media Resource Centre, (+91 44) 22541698, (+91) 9840050444, info@mssrf.res.in www.mssrf.org/iyff Twitter @mssrf

The need to have a co-ordinated approach to across the Asia Pacific region to tackle hunger and malnutrition, was the main theme that emerged from the speakers at the International Conference on Family Farming on achieving the Zero Hunger Challenge held at M S Swaminathan Foundation in Chennai today.