AGARTALA, October 16 (TIWN): Along with the whole world the World Food Day 2014 was celebrated in Agartala at Nazrul Kalakshetra, here today. Minister for agriculture Aghore Debbarma inaugurated the programme.

 While delivering the speech minister for agriculture Aghore Debbarma said that the 2014 World Food Day theme – Family Farming: “Feeding the world, caring for the earth” – has been chosen to raise the profile of family farming and smallholder farmers. It focuses world attention on the significant role of family farming in eradicating hunger and poverty, providing food security and nutrition, improving livelihoods, managing natural resources, protecting the environment, and achieving sustainable development, in particular in rural areas.” 

The main objective of world food day is to encourage agricultural food production, encourage economic and technical cooperation among developing countries, encourage the participation of rural people, particularly women and the least privileged. Heighten public awareness of the problem, promote the transfer of technologies to the developing world, strengthen national and international solidarity against hunger, battle against malnutrition and poverty and draw attention to agricultural development.

World Food Day is celebrated every year around the world on 16 October in honor of the date of the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 1945. The day is celebrated widely by many other organisations concerned with food security, including the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development. Since 1981, World Food Day has adopted a different theme each year in order to highlight areas needed for action and provide a common focus.

Principal Secretary of Agriculture Dr. V.K. Bahuguna and other officials were present in the programme.