Need to shift away from foods that add to climate change problem: President Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday said there is a need to shift away from those foods which add to climate change problem and opt for healthy foods that do not cause any harm to nature.

She was speaking at the valedictory session of the three-day World Food India event (November 3-5) in the national capital. "We must consider the environmental cost of what we eat. The previous generations did not have to worry on this count," Murmu said. "The time has come when we have to choose our menu in a way that avoids any harm to nature," she added. The president called for shifting away from those foods that affect climate and moving towards environment-friendly menu.

"We need to make conscious decisions to shift away from those foods that add to the problem of climate change and to shift towards the ones that are good for not only our health but also for the health of the planet," Murmu said. Food Processing Industries Minister Pashupati Kumar Paras said there is a great potential in this sector. He said the food processing contributes 75 per cent to India's total agricultural exports. MoUs for investments of around Rs 35,000 crore were signed during the three-day event, Paras said, adding that the programme has been successful with the efforts of all the stakeholders.

On the first day of World Food India, a total of 16 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between the food processing ministry and various industry entities. These agreements amounted to a total investment of around Rs 17,990 crore. Notable companies participating in these MoUs included Mondelez, Kellog, ITC, Innobev, Nedspice, Ananda, General Mills, and Ab Inbev, among others. In the last nine years, the food processing sector has attracted foreign direct investments (FDI) of around Rs 50,000 crore.

The Centre has launched the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme in the food processing sector to boost domestic manufacturing. The World Food India event aims to showcase India as 'food basket of the world'. The first edition was held in 2017, but in consecutive years the international event could not be organised due to the COVID-19 pandemic. World Food India 2023 provided a networking and business platform for government bodies, industry professionals, farmers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to engage in discussions, establish partnerships, and explore investment opportunities in the agri-food sector. During the event, CEOs' roundtables were held with focus on investment and ease of doing business.