Agriculture minister joins G-20 meet over

News:Union Agriculture Minister participated in an virtual meeting of G-20 Agriculture Ministers which was organised by the Saudi Presidency

Facts:

• The meeting sought to address the issue of Covid-19 impacts on food security, safety and nutrition.

Highlights of the meet:

• No export restrictions or high taxes on food and agricultural products purchased by the World Food Programme (WFP) and other humanitarian agencies.
• The International Fund for Agricultural Development will help in technical assistance, and work to improve resilience in agriculture.
• The G20 AMIS (Agricultural Market Information System) will help coordinate policy responses.

Additional Facts:

World Food Programme:

• It is the food assistance branch of the United Nations, established in 1961.
• Aim:To eradicate hunger and malnutrition with the ultimate goal of eliminating the need for food aid itself.

International Fund for Agricultural Development

• Established in 1977, it is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the United Nations. It works to address poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries

G20 AMIS (Agricultural Market Information System)

• It is an inter-agency platform to enhance food market transparency and encourage international policy coordination in times of crisis. It was established in 2011 at the request of G20 countries.

G20:

• It is an informal group of 19 countries and the European Union with representatives of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.