New Delhi (NVI): India joined the global community in observing World Food Day on October 16 with Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launching a host of Schemes to mark the occasion. Consumer Affairs,Food and Public Distribution Minister Ram Vilas Paswan also expressed commitment for a complete and nutritious diet for every Indian.
Dr Vardhan launched ‘Food Safety Mitra (FSM)’ scheme along with ‘Eat Right Jacket’, and ‘Eat Right Jhola’. The FSM will support small and medium scale food businesses to comply with the food safety laws, the ‘Eat Right Jacket’, and ‘Eat Right Jhola’ will strengthen food safety administration.
On the occasion, the Paswan tweeted “Hearty congratulations and best wishes to all of you on World Food Day. It is our first duty to ensure a complete and nutritious diet to every citizen of the society. We are committed to this. There is a bigger challenge than the system of food grains all over the world, preventing its waste.”
“Today, due to the tireless hard work of our crores of farmer brothers, the country is self-sufficient in the matter of food grains. The government is providing cheap food grains to 82 crore beneficiaries. The destruction of one grain of grain is not only an insult to crores of farmers but is also a social crime.” he added.
Dr Vardhan emphasized that the Eat Right India movement is a crucial trigger for the much needed social and behavioural change. This campaign along with the ‘Fit India’ Movement’ can achieve huge success if the right strategy is adopted and efforts are made to reach out to every section of the society.
World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world in honour of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945. This day generates awareness globally for those who suffer from hunger and to ensure the need for food security and nutritious diets for all. The main focus of this day is that food is a basic and fundamental human right.
This year the theme of World Food Day 2019 is not only focused on Zero Hunger but is also about nourishing people, while nurturing the planet. The theme is ‘Our Actions Are Our Future Healthy Diets for A #ZeroHunger World’. According to FAO, ‘This year, World Food Day calls for action across sectors to make healthy and sustainable diets affordable and accessible to everyone. At the same time, it calls on everyone to start thinking about what we eat’.
-sb/nad
