Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday received the prestigious FAO Agricola Medal from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in recognition of his contribution to food security, sustainable agriculture and rural development.
Modi, who arrived in Italy on Tuesday evening at the end of his five-country tour, received the award from Dr. Zhou Dongyue, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization, at the headquarters of the United Nations organization in Rome.
Modi said that this honor reflects India’s steadfast commitment to food security and sustainable development and the hard work of those associated with the agriculture sector.
“This is an honor for India’s millions of farmers, ranchers, fish farmers, agricultural scientists and workers. This is also an honor for India’s unwavering commitment, at the heart of which lies human well-being, food security and sustainable development,” he said.
The FAO Agricola Medal is one of the organization’s highest honors to outstanding individuals who have played an exceptional role in promoting efforts towards global food security, improved nutrition and agricultural development.
Highlighting the centrality of agricultural life in India, Prime Minister Modi emphasized that agriculture was a sacred bond between Mother Earth and the Indian people.
In his speech, Modi said that technology has become the new force for Indian agriculture.
“We believe that the future of agriculture is not just about ‘producing more,’ but about ‘producing better.’ Guided by this vision, we are focusing on enhancing biodiversity and reducing dependence on chemical fertilizers,” he said.
Modi said India’s experience proves to the world that scale and sustainability can go hand in hand. “When technology and inclusion work together, they reinforce each other, and science-based agriculture can serve as a strong foundation for global food security,” he said.
“For us, food security is not just a political issue; it is our responsibility towards humanity,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi noted that India’s science-based and innovation-led approach to agriculture fosters a sustainable, climate-resilient and future-ready ecosystem.
He said practices such as “for every drop, more yield” and mission-based approach to micro-irrigation and precision agriculture guide its agricultural policies.
Speaking about technology-based agricultural solutions, Prime Minister Modi said digital public infrastructure, AI-based advisory systems, drones, remote sensing technologies and sensor-based machines are helping Indian farmers reap rich crops and higher agricultural income.
In the last 10 years, India has developed around 3,000 varieties of climate-resilient crops, he said.
He thanked the organization for its work with India to promote healthy food choices by celebrating the International Year of Millets.
Earlier, Dr Dongyu warmly received Prime Minister Modi. His visit to the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization was the first by an Indian Prime Minister in the past thirty years.
During his meeting with the Director-General, Prime Minister Modi recalled FAO’s rich contributions to agriculture and food security in India and reiterated India’s support for its vision and mission.
