Odisha Deputy CM, WFP Asst Executive Director Discuss on Partnerships on Food Security

Bhubaneswar: Valerie N. Guarnieri, Assistant Executive Director for Program and Policy Development at the World Food Programme, met Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister, during her on going visit to the state to discuss current and future partnerships.

WFP’s Assistant Executive Director, based in Rome, congratulated the Deputy Chief Minister on assuming the office of Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Energy, and making time to engage in strategic discussion on the common agenda of food security and reducing malnutrition.

“On behalf of WFP, I express gratitude for the continuing partnership and support of the Department of Agriculture officials for the excellent support WFP receives for various projects that the WFP and the Odisha Government are undertaking,” said Guarnieri.

The Deputy Chief Minister said, “We value the World Food Programme’s technical expertise and strategic alignment with my government’s commitment to ensuring inclusive growth and resilience in agriculture, which will contribute to improved food security and livelihoods for vulnerable communities in Odisha.”

She appreciated the state’s recently developed strategy to augment cold storage capacity to help reduce post-harvest losses and expressed WFP’s total commitment to supporting the department on this initiative.

Guarnieri informed the Deputy Chief Minister that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India, and WFP in India today inked a Memorandum of Understanding for a regional adaptation project called Adaptation for Resilience, which will also be implemented in the state.

Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment said that the presence of WFP and its immense contribution in shaping the policy and initiatives in the department is praise-worthy. “We hope for a futuristic and sacrosanct partnership with WFP in coming years in the frontier areas of agri-food system and policy coherence”, he expressed.

Subhranshu Mishra, Additional Secretary and members of Climate Resilience Cell of Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment attended the meeting. Representative and Country Director of WFP in India, Elisabeth Faure, and Himanshu Bal, State Office Head were also present.

WFP has been working in Odisha since its inception. Food for Work activities started in Odisha in 1986, extending support to the tribal population. WFP has continued with food assistance in Odisha till 2012, creating assets and addressing the malnutrition of vulnerable groups. Currently, the WFP focuses on technical assistance to the Government of Odisha.