QU Dongyu praises the Indian leader’s efforts to prioritize agrifood systems and rural development

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India with the FAO Agricola Medal, the Organization’s highest award, in a ceremony held in the historic Plenary Hall at FAO’s Rome headquarters. 

Qu warmly congratulated the Prime Minster and said: “It is an honour to award the FAO Agricola Medal, the Organization’s highest award, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, in recognition of his invaluable contribution and long commitment to the wellbeing of India, and all people. During his tenure, he has introduced landmark schemes to enhance agricultural productivity, bolstering food security and improving farmer’s livelihoods. The Agricola Medal is an acknowledgement of his unwavering support to FAO’s mandate in the fight against hunger and poverty, and the pursuit of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as his efforts to prioritize agrifood systems and rural development on the international agenda, including during India’s G20 Presidency.”

The FAO Director-General lauded Prime Minister Modi’s exceptional leadership and vision in advancing India’s efforts to transform the country’s agricultural landscape through farmer-centric, innovative, and path-breaking initiatives.

Qu praised India’s food and agriculture initiatives rolled out under the Prime Minister’s leadership for their scale and reach. The FAO Director-General particularly highlighted India’s financial inclusion initiatives, the world’s largest food-based social safety net covering 800 million people since the COVID pandemic, direct income support to more than 110 million farmers, national efforts to advance regenerative and natural farming, and the global efforts to promote nutrient rich millets including through the International Year of Millets 2023 in partnership with FAO.

He expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Modi’s visionary drive to position digital public infrastructure as a global public good during India’s G-20 Presidency – a transformative step toward enabling access to digital technologies in developing countries for efficient service delivery and empowering communities. These sustained efforts, he noted, have contributed to India lifting millions out of poverty.

Thanking the FAO Director-General for the honour bestowed upon him, the Prime Minister said that he was deeply honoured to accept the award and termed it a recognition of the immense contributions and achievements of millions of hard-working smallholder farmers of India and the scientific and research community to national and global food security.