India's Pivotal Role at G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting

India's Participation and Key Messages

• Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Shri Ram Nath Thakur, represented India at the G20 Agriculture Ministerial Meeting in Cuiabá, Brazil (September 12-14, 2024)
• Highlighted India's approach to agricultural development under PM Modi's leadership
• Emphasized focus on productivity, economic, social, and environmental sustainability
• Mentioned India's implementation of the world's largest food-based safety net programs
• Stressed the importance of Special and Differential Treatment for developing and least-developed countries
• Reiterated India's commitment to developing resilient agricultural systems
• Congratulated Brazil on a successful G20 Presidency and extended wishes to South Africa for its upcoming Presidency

Key Discussion Areas and Priorities

Four priority areas discussed:

a) Sustainability of agriculture and food systems

b) Enhancing international trade's contribution to food security and nutrition

c) Elevating the role of family farmers, smallholders, indigenous peoples, and local communities

d) Promoting integration of sustainable fisheries and aquaculture into value chains

• Focus on climate-smart agriculture and adaptation to climate change
• Exploration of technological advancements in farming, including AI and gene-editing
• Emphasis on improving food processing methods and sharing innovations
• Discussions on reducing trade barriers and improving agricultural product exchange

Bilateral Meetings and Collaborations

• India held bilateral meetings with the USA, Brazil, Germany, UK, Japan, Spain, and UAE
• Progress made towards finalizing an agreement between ICAR (India) and EMBRAPA (Brazil)
• India-Brazil discussions on improving trade of agricultural products like sorghum, rapeseed, and citrus fruits
• India-US agreement on collaboration for agricultural innovations and crop insurance systems
• India-Germany collaboration on AI application in farming and support for small farmers
• India-UK discussions on precision breeding and gene-editing technologies
• Japan's interest in learning from India's food processing techniques
• UAE's interest in sustainable agriculture and vertical farming collaboration
• India-Spain talks on resolving issues related to veterinary certificates and exploring new genomic techniques