President Smt Droupadi Murmu inaugurated an International Research Conference on ‘From research to impact: Towards Just and Resilient Agri-Food Systems’, hosted by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform on Monday in New Delhi.
In her address, Smt Droupadi Murmu said “We need systematic understanding of how to transform the agri-food systems. I hope this conference and this community will take all the measures and steps to achieve these milestones,” said Smt Murmu.
Smt Murmu emphasised that even though the world enters the modern age, the world is still grappling with the challenge of attaining just and resilient agri-food systems. “Still across the world women are held back and are stopped by discriminatory social norms and barriers to knowledge, ownership, assets, resources, and social networks.
While appreciating the gathered researchers, the President added, “I am elated to know that the CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform is working on putting equality and inclusion at the heart of food systems research by focusing on women, not as the objects of transformation, but as the agents and drivers of the transformation.”
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar, MoS Kailash Choudhary and Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, Secretary Manoj Ahuja, Director General ICAR Dr Himanshu Pathak, Executive Managing Director for CGIAR Prof. Andrew Campbell, Director for CGIAR GENDER Impact Platform Dr.Nicoline de Haan, Director, and South Asia Regional Director for CGIAR Temina Lalani-Shariff also graced the inaugural program.
Speaking on the occasion Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that women have played critical roles in agriculture in India, and give as much time as men on the field. Additionally, they put in about 30 hours per week of unpaid care work. I am of the firm opinion that equality in agri-food systems will not only lead to a reduction in poverty, but will also give women better nutrition and health access. T
Tomar said that we have a long legacy of investment and success in excellent research, development and innovation. India is becoming a knowledge partner and role model in the world through agricultural innovation and intensive research, added Tomar.
Dr Himanshu Pathak said that the conference is bringing together some of the top researchers, thought leaders and practitioners who are collectively deliberating how to make stronger and faster progress towards resilient, equitable and just food systems. He added that CGIAR and ICAR play pivotal roles in guiding research, policies and investments towards better and resilient agri-food systems. “Mainstreaming women in agriculture can bring about a paradigm shift in economic growth through technical knowledge and greater access to resources,” Dr Pathak added.
Prof Campbell underscored that CGIAR research shows that when women have equity in access to knowledge, resources and decision-making, the whole community benefits, and food and nutrition security improves for all, further transforming food systems to be more resilient and sustainable. He further said that gender matters in bringing about inclusive agricultural transformation.
Recalling how the legendary late Prof.MS. Swaminathan stood firmly as a champion of agricultural research and steered the Green Revolution when humanity faced one of its worst crises, Dr de Haan said that we are in dire need of a new wave of research-backed innovation that can catapult women into the centre of food systems. Let’s ask if we can use research for the next revolution—one that includes women and that gives them the opportunity to contribute, benefit and lead. The gains—for farmers, food systems and nations—would be immense, and that is why we have to get started now.
The conference inauguration was followed by a keynote delivered by Mr Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa, who shared his perspectives on what is at stake for gender equality in agri-food systems. He said, “The research by CGIAR and its partners along with ICAR underscores the importance to focus on areas like food security and nutrition, climate smart approaches, inclusive agricultural value chains and digitisation to bring about gender inclusive agricultural transformation.”
The four-day conference (October 9-12) is welcoming gender researchers from 68 countries to share cutting-edge knowledge on gender and inclusion in food systems. The event is designed to catalyse scientific exchanges and dialogues among researchers from diverse types of organizations, and will create opportunities to engage with policymakers, practitioners, private sector actors, and others working toward the shared goal of equitable food systems transformation. Its goal is to bridge the gap between research and practice and foster gender-equal and socially inclusive, resilient food systems.
