Effective for five years, the agreement was signed in New Delhi between Elisabeth Faure, WFP Country Director in India and Manoj Ahuja, Agriculture Secretary, Government of India, in the presence of Honourable Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar. WFP Deputy Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer Manoj Juneja was also present.
The WFP India Country Strategic Plan (CSP) for 2023-2027, agreed upon through the MoU, will continue to build on India's national priorities for food and nutrition security through strong cooperation with the government around capacity strengthening and technical support for national social protection programmes and government schemes. WFP has been working in India with the government since 1968.
"I hope the partnership between WFP and the Government of India will be useful in achieving our goals. I appreciate WFP's global efforts to ensure long-term solutions to the hunger challenge," said Minister Tomar.
"Since 2012, WFP's work in India has been focused on country capacity strengthening. The CSP will contribute to national programmes and specifically to Sustainable Development Goal 2 targets of improving access to food, reducing malnutrition, increasing incomes and livelihoods and building resilient food systems while also supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality and 13 on climate action," said Faure.
"The new country strategy reflects common concerns and complementarity that the ministry and WFP in India have towards achieving Zero Hunger. In the context of multiple challenges to food security globally, this collaboration assumes even greater significance. We are happy with the strategic partnership and look forward to positive outcomes," said Ahuja.
