The Government of India and the World Food Programme (WFP) have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to enhance collaboration in tackling the global hunger crisis.
- Under this partnership, India will provide fortified rice to WFP for distribution among vulnerable communities in crisis-affected regions worldwide.
Food Crisis: A food crisis is declared when hunger levels exceed a country’s capacity to respond and require urgent action to save lives and livelihoods.
Rice Fortification
- Rice fortification is the process of enriching rice with essential micronutrients such as iron, folic acid, vitamin B12, zinc, and vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, and B6 to improve its nutritional value.
- It helps tackle micronutrient deficiencies and related public health issues, particularly anemia.
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Key Features of the Initiative
- Implemented by: Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD).
- Aim: Utilise India’s position as an agricultural surplus nation to provide life-saving aid.
- Mechanism: Supply of Fortified rice from India to meet food and nutrition requirements of vulnerable groups.
India’s role shift: From food aid recipient (PL-480 era) → to global food donor.
Rice Fortification Scheme in India
- Type: Centrally funded scheme, with 100% cost borne by the Central Government. Implemented under PMGKAY with a unified institutional mechanism.
- Aim: To combat anaemia and micronutrient deficiencies at the population level.
- Distribution: Fortified rice is supplied free of cost across all States and Union Territories through major welfare programmes like:
- Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)
- Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)
- PM POSHAN (Mid-Day Meal Scheme)
About World Food Programme
- Establishment: Created in 1961 by the UN General Assembly and FAO. Headquarters – Rome, Italy.
- Role: World’s largest humanitarian agency, providing food assistance in emergencies and helping communities build resilience and self-reliance.
- Presence: Active in 160+ countries and territories.
- Funding: Entirely dependent on voluntary contributions from governments, corporations, and private donors.
- Recognition: Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 for its efforts to combat hunger and foster peace.
Other Collaborative Efforts between India and WFP
- Supply Chain Optimization (distribution and procurement).
- Fortified Rice Rollout across India.
- Annapurti Devices (Grain ATMs) – To provide food grains to beneficiaries with 24/7 access under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)
- Jan Poshan Kendra for nutrition awareness.
- Smart Warehousing Technology to modernize storage.
- Flospans (Mobile Storage Units) for flexible food grain handling.
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Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) 2025
- About: An annual report that provides a comprehensive analysis of acute food insecurity worldwide.
- Published by: Jointly produced by the Global Network Against Food Crises (GNAFC) – a coalition including the European Union, FAO, WFP, and other partners.
- Purpose: To assess the severity, causes, and spread of food crises and guide humanitarian and development responses.
- Findings: In 2024, 295 million people in 53 countries faced acute hunger (increased by 14 million from 2023).
- Top 10 affected countries: Nigeria, Sudan, DRC, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Pakistan, Syria (accounting for 196 million people, i.e., 66% of global total).
About National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA)
- Objective: To provide food and nutritional security by ensuring access to adequate quantities of quality food at affordable prices.
- Coverage: Legally entitles 75% of rural and 50% of urban population to receive subsidized foodgrains under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS); In total, about 2/3rd of India’s population is covered.
26 Aug 2025
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