India to host first Global conference on Agro Industry

India will host the first Global Agro-Industries Forum (GAIF) at New Delhi from April 8-11 this year, organised by UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), United Nation International Developmental Organisation (UNIDO) and International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in association with Government of India.

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The Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh will officially inaugurate the conference together with Jacques Diouf, Director General of FAO, Kandeh K. Yumkella, Director General of UNIDO and Lennart Bage, President of IFAD.

An estimated 500 representative from the agro –industry, governments, technical and financing institutions, civil society and UN agencies will attend the conference to discuss the potential of agro- industries and the challenges related to it.

GAIF will promote the significance of agro-industries for economic development and poverty reduction.

Though rapid globalisation, market liberalisation and urbanisation have provided countries with various opportunities to trade agricultural and food products but it has also thrown new challenges for the countries with inefficient agro-industry.

Discussion on increasing market opportunities specially by encouraging the small scale producers in rural areas, by improving production, processing and market capabilities and other related issues will be highlighted in the forum.

Creating employment opportunities and making better product available at lower prices for the poor consumers and encouraging private- public partnership for developing competitive agro-industries.

Aims & Objectives

Agro industry as the only crucial part of India’s rural economy the prime aims and objectives of such forum is to address issues related to farm products, better agricultural technology and more efficient employment and income opportunities. A lack of vision and unavailability of technological needs at the grass root level further aggravates the situation with less productivity.

The forum also aims to create employment opportunities in various off-farm activities including handling, packaging, processing and marketing of food products by putting together some effective policies.

With greater emphasis on agro-industrialisation the forum will discuss possibilities of development in partnership with government, private and also financial institution for future agro-industrial developments.

This event at New Delhi will demonstrate India’s place in the world of agriculture, and will provide ample opportunities by bringing the whole world under the same roof to gain and share the experiences and strategies among participants.