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One of the biggest challenges of today’s world is <keyword id="118345" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Food-security">food security</keyword>. According to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, food security is achieved when the world population has physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences. However, millions of people across the globe do not have access to safe and adequate sources of food which can provide them with much-needed nourishment. 
 The <keyword id="397960" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Food-and-Agriculture-Organisation">Food and Agriculture Organisation</keyword> (FAO) and the <keyword id="49053" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="World-Food-Programme">World Food Programme</keyword> reported in 2009 that for the first time since 1970, more than one billion people are hungry or undernourished worldwide. Furthermore, the world population will most definitely not stop growing and will demand even more food in the near future. 
 
An important element of food security is the development of agriculture. Otherwise, how would the world meet its food requirements? Nevertheless, the world has long neglected this industry. 
 
Food Crisis And Neglect Of Agriculture 
Food security has been an issue since the beginning of mankind. Humans have always been concerned with finding better and improved ways to produce food. Agriculture was a discovery that allowed man to have a stable source of food. It also allowed man to locate himself in a single place instead of moving around chasing the herds of animals, which in turn, allowed further development and specialisation of agricultural techniques and agriculture in general. 
 
Unfortunately, with developments such as the industrial revolution, agriculture, which has always been a pinnacle in the process of securing food for man, started to become a neglected industry in favour of more advanced forms of businesses. Today, many countries in the world have deficient agricultural policies to support farmers, whether small or large. 
 
Globalization has also contributed in part to the abandonment of agriculture in favour of more profitable businesses. When developed countries with resources to produce cheap food started entering the markets of countries with more deficient technology and higher food prices, local farmers were driven out of business since they could not compete with the cheaper food sold by the developed countries. 
 
Today, the world is facing a critical time in terms of food security. The recent food crisis and economic recession of 2008-2009 have driven millions of people into poverty. According to a 2010 report on food security and agricultural development by the UN Secretary General, several factors converged to make 2009 a particularly damaging year for people at risk of food insecurity: 
 
● The food crisis had pushed the prices of basic goods beyond the reach of millions of poor people. 
● The price increases forced many poor families to make compromises, such as replacing more nutritious food with food that is less nutritious, selling productive assets, withdrawing children from school, forgoing health care or education, or simply eating less. 
 
Possible Solutions 
Efforts have been made to address this enormous issue. One of the most ambitious projects of the international community is the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Back in 2000, the countries of the world committed themselves to certain concrete goals to address the major issues of the planet. The first one of these MDGs establishes that the world has committed itself to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. The concrete goal is to be able to halve the number of people living in hunger by the year 2015. 
 These kinds of concrete commitments help focus efforts throughout the world. However, it has not been enough. The <keyword id="6355833" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="united-nations">United Nations</keyword> itself reports that due to the crisis in 2008- 2009, the progress to end hunger in most regions suffered enormous setbacks. In various parts of the Africa, thousands of people have died and millions more are at risk due to one of the biggest and most severe food crisis in history. Caused by the worst drought that the region has seen in 60 years and decades of civil conflict, many inhabitants of countries such as Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia face serious threats to their lives due to shortage of food and the high prices of basic commodities. 
 
The international community has taken action and implemented various mechanisms to combat the effects of climate change. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification seeks to establish plans of action to combat this phenomenon, which greatly affects agriculture and food production. Additionally, the issue of desertification and drought has been included in other important documents such as the Agenda 21, which includes the most pressing environmental issues of the world. 
 
This is one of the most important principles that resulted from the 2009 World Summit on Food Security: it is part of the “twin-track” approach to tackle the problem: 
 
● Direct action to immediately tackle hunger for the most vulnerable 
● Medium- and long-term sustainable agricultural, food security, nutrition and rural development programmes to eliminate the root causes of hunger and poverty. 
 This is a task that must be addressed at all levels. Countries need to work on implementing adequate national policies to develop agriculture as well as securing food for their population. The <keyword id="429631" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="International-Fund-for-Agricultural-Development">International Fund for Agricultural Development</keyword>, for example, allocates money and resources to finance agricultural development projects throughout the world, especially benefiting the small farmers and the poor. On the other hand, the World Food Program delivers and distributes food to areas and regions struck by different crisis whether man-made or natural. 
 
However, the challenges not only come from the current shortage of food for the current population of our planet. Seeing the rates at which the world population is growing, efforts also need to be put to create long-term solutions which can also feed the people of the future. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation food production will have to increase by 70% to feed a population of nine billion by 2050. In order to intensify food production by that much, immense effort will have to go into new, better and more intensive ways of producing our food. 
 
Food security and agricultural development are important issues. Unless action is taken to secure adequate amounts of food for the population of the world and to improve the defective agricultural system in the world, over one billion people would be at risk of dying.

Agricultural Development And Food Security: The Challenges Ahead

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Mary Altaffer/AP ImagesPresident Barack Obama addressing the UN General Assembly in 2016.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>The United Nations has consistently fallen short when addressing major international problems.</li><li>The UN needs to address its management deficiencies and work with the private sector to properly face the issues plaguing the world.</li><li>It also needs to raise its standard for outcomes to produce sustainable long-term solutions.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>The United Nations too often puts problems on pause. This is why so often the embers of instability remain and then start new fires. They then become major crises. In those situations, we often blame a lack of funds or a lack of political will. I believe it largely comes from outdated and outmoded structures and strategies.I have spent the past several months traveling the globe, speaking to the world leaders about agricultural crises and conflicts from Yemen to Venezuela. In this process, I have observed three principal challenges: We face a major management problem within the UN system; the system experiences a constant shortage of funds; and frequently we settle for poor results, telling ourselves that there are just too many important issues to resolve.The tendency within international organizations is to respond too slowly, on too small a scale, and with no enduring strategy. These are fundamental flaws that in many instances lead to fatal errors.We need global bodies that react to important problems more quickly, with more agility and less reliance on traditional government sources of support. A rewrite of this rulebook is desperately needed.<h2 dir="ltr">Moving past firefighting and enlisting the private sector</h2>We always seem to be chasing fires, pursuing necessary but fast fixes. While they may generate flashy headlines, firefighters don't plant trees or build houses. They are forced to deal with immediate, not enduring solutions. When it comes to critical issues like hunger and malnutrition, handing out food is not a solution. It's only a short-term patch.The world has depended on the fire department for too long. Global institutions must shift to implementing programs that plant the seeds of new possibilities and long-term solutions to serious problems.For example, since 1964, <a href="http://www.fao.org/support-to-investment/partners/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.fao.org/support-to-investment/partners/en/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1560881939725000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEhBbsk2_D-j0tMYTTfTRjiLXKSoQ">only $5 million dollars has been raised</a> by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization from outside the international finance institutions like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. That's an astonishingly small amount. Why is the private sector not given a more central role in solving agriculture problems?The UN enjoys a unique power to convene. Why not use it to bring together leading investors and businesses at an annual conference aimed at connecting them with emerging opportunities in developing countries?The relationship between the UN and the private sector can also be mutually beneficial. A persistent problem faced by the private sector is a lack of information on frontier markets. That presents an opportunity for the UN to do targeted market research. It should more strategically use its voluminous databases and special reports to address such specific information needs. To do this and more, we have to drastically change the culture of international organizations.The concern with attaining and wielding power should not supersede the concern for those who are hungry. The UN's priority should be to act quickly and decisively, empower talented international teams, worry less about protocol and more about effectiveness, and reject the slow pace of bureaucracy.If the challenges we face are urgent, then the leadership of the UN needs to be in a real hurry. It comes down to changing the mindset of international bodies. A report is not a result. A photograph isn't the end product. The private sector isn't an afterthought or an addition; it is a principal partner, which brings critical analysis and long-term planning skills to the mix.We must introduce the business community more fully into the development and problem-solving processes. That community will quickly understand where and when they can most effectively engage in addressing persistent development problems.The UN can then fill some gaps and set goals, but it must play a complementary role, not a central one, in the design and implementation of mitigating actions. The focus of international organizations should shift to enabling others by engaging fully with businesses in development projects.<h2 dir="ltr">Maintaining a long-term view</h2>The UN system doesn't necessarily require more money. It needs to spend what it has in a smarter way, such as seeding and supporting more entrepreneurial ventures. Then, it can stand aside as citizens, countries, and companies create long-term local solutions.As an example, I sit on the board of an international development organization that <a href="https://www.cnfa.org/press/john-deere-partners-with-cnfa-to-increase-agricultural-efficiency-through-mechanization/">just signed a new partnership with John Deere</a> to create mechanization centers across Africa. We are just a small nonprofit. Imagine what the UN could do.Ultimately, I believe that success at the UN should be defined not by the number or scale of problems addressed. The standard should be the number of opportunities identified today.That is a transformation to what I call an opportunity organization mindset. When we plant the seeds of possibilities, we reduce the potential for conflict. Such a deliberate proactive approach may not work everywhere. The UN on occasion will still be called to the rescue.Yet if we can spend more time and resources looking to tomorrow's promise and not only at today's problems, the likelihood we can deliver a better future for our children increases substantially. Just ask our children about their hopes, not just their fears. Our kids don't want a world with fewer crises. They want a planet filled with openings and opportunities.Davit Kirvalidze serves as an adviser to the prime minister of Georgia and on the board of the international development organization Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture. He was twice minister of agriculture and received a Fulbright scholarship to the US. He is a candidate to be the next director general of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.This is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-tennis-balls-are-made-processed-penn-manufactured-satisfying-machines-2017-5">Tennis balls are made using this 11-step process - and it's quite satisfying to watch</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Opinion: The UN is failing to address to world's biggest problems. Here's how the organization can be fixed.

<keyword id="78512" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIM-Calcutta">IIM Calcutta</keyword> <keyword id="71813" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Innovation-Park">Innovation Park</keyword> has created out plans to incubate 100 <keyword id="6362513" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Startups">startups</keyword> by 2020, of which 40 would be funded by the <keyword id="154380" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="department-of-science-and-technology">Department of Science and Technology</keyword> (DST) and DFID. 
 IIM-C director <keyword id="3767605" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="saibal-chatterjee">Saibal Chatterjee</keyword> said that the Innovation Park, which started two years ago, has provided seed capital to six start-ups and is ready to go for a second series of funding. 
 
Ashok Banerjee of IIM-C said that the start-ups would get access to the IIM alumni network for mentoring purposes, adding that they would be reaching out to the districts for hunting talent. 
 
The INVENT program is funded mutually by the DST and the Department for International Development (DFID) which is aimed at promoting social enterprise in the low-income states. 
 
The verticals in the social enterprise domain are healthcare, education for masses, technological innovation, agriculture, water and sanitation. 
 
These startups under the INVENT program would be revenue driven enterprises which would get initial seed funding from DST and DFID.

IIM-C will be incubating 100 startups by 2020

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Militant website / AP</div></div></div><ul><li>Documents found by The New York Times reveal extensive civil systems implemented by the Islamic State.</li><li>At the peak of their power, the militant group used taxes to fund garbage collectors and a motor vehicle authority. </li><li>The group collected hundreds of millions of dollars from its taxes from agricultural goods, which it also used to fund its expansion in Iraq and Syria.</li></ul> Documents found by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/04/04/world/middleeast/isis-documents-mosul-iraq.html">The New York Times</a> reveal how the Islamic State used taxes to fund its expansion, as well as civil services including garbage collection and a motor vehicle authority.Over the course of several trips to Iraq, Times reporter Rukmini Callimachi recovered 15,000 pages of internal Islamic State documents from abandoned police stations, courts, and training facilities once used by the militant group.The papers reveal that the group essentially taxed everything they could, and used that money to self-fund its expansion programs across Iraq and Syria. The funds were also used to support extensive social services.Former inhabitants of regions occupied by Islamic State told the Times that despite police crackdowns and public executions, the streets in the regions seized by ISIS were always clean."Garbage collection was number one under ISIS," a 42-year-old truck driver told the Times.Additionally, the Caliphate created municipal offices that issued official birth and marriage certificates and even ran its own motor vehicle department that monitored and registered cars on the road. Receipts and ledgers obtained by the Times show the group drew major revenue from civil taxes on everyday goods, like wheat and milk, and by reaping profits from goods sold at markets they controlled.According to the report, the group earned hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue from agriculture programs alone. By developing diversified income sectors and strong social systems, the Islamic State was able to maintain power for years despite countless military strikes and global military intervention.Documents also detail how the Islamic State forcibly confiscated agricultural property from landowners who were members of banned religious groups. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/30/world/middleeast/predatory-islamic-state-wrings-money-from-those-it-rules.html?_r=0">A previous Times report</a> indicated that ISIS raked in hundreds of millions of dollars from "taxing" and extorting inhabitants of Islamic State territory. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-taxation-extortion-system-2015-12">According to the 2015 report</a>, officials believed Islamic State made as much as $900 million from its "tax" schemes, which "proved largely impervious to sanctions and air raids."Those schemes included building a market in Mosul, one of its former strongholds, and charging vendors 2.8 million Iraqi dinars, or roughly $2,500, per year to rent a stall.Officials also charged for utilities like water and electricity, and imposed an income tax of about 10%.ISIS was declared <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/isis-military-defeat-iraq-syria-2017-11">militarily defeated</a> in November, although the group still operates in small swaths of land in Syria. Still, the group has shown <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-as-trump-mulls-a-pullout-is-attempts-to-re-emerge-in-syria-2018-4">small signs on revival</a> in recent clashes with international forces in eastern Syria.<h2>Read the New York Times report <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/04/04/world/middleeast/isis-documents-mosul-iraq.html">here</a>.</h2> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/why-russia-is-so-involved-in-the-syrian-civil-war-2018-3">Why Russia is so involved in the Syrian Civil War</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

ISIS made millions from taxes that it then used to run garbage collections and even a DMV

The pandemic, global interruption to supply chains, rising costs of major primary commodities, conflicts and humanitarian <keyword id="1541218" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="crises" source="Orion">crises</keyword> threaten the functioning of world agrifood systems, <keyword id="7790373" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="qu-dongyu" source="Orion">QU Dongyu</keyword>, Director-General of the <keyword id="397960" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="food-and-agriculture-organisation" source="Orion">Food and Agriculture Organisation</keyword> of the <keyword id="6355833" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="united-nations" source="Orion">United Nations</keyword> (<keyword id="18639" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="fao" source="Orion">FAO</keyword>), said. "We are at serious risk of facing a food access crisis now, and probably a food availability crisis for the next season. All this has put at risk our efforts to achieve the SDGs," Qu said at the opening of the 2022 United Nations High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York on Tuesday. The HLPF is the main United Nations platform for following up and reviewing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the <keyword id="879547" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sustainable-development-goals" source="Orion">Sustainable Development Goals</keyword> on the global level. "We must prevent the acceleration of acute food insecurity trends in the coming months and years," Qu said. The FAO Director-General outlined measures to be taken by the international community to address the situation. These include food production at the country-level must be expanded, cash and critical inputs are needed for cereal and vegetable production and to protect livestock with treatments, vaccinations, feed and water and agrifood supply chains and value chains must be strengthened with the engagement of the public and the private sectors, to support smallholder farmers and households. In addition, livelihoods, agrifood systems and economies need protection against future shocks. Speaking later in the day at the FAO-led side event, "Agrifood Systems Transformation for a Resilient World: Responding to Global Crises," Qu said, "We only have eight years before our agreed timeline to implement the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs. We have no time to lose." Qu summarised the scale of the task ahead, pointing to the impacts of the pandemic, conflicts, and the cumulative loss to the global economy of more than $12 trillion in 2020 and 2021, setting back progress on the SDGs. To overcome these problems, he outlined four main areas that need attention: Investment in the countries most in need; policies that increase productivity and protect natural resources; ensuring more efficient use of available inputs and outputs; and the importance of innovation, science and research. Timely food aid is required but there needs to be more attention on producing nutritious food locally, FAO advocates. Only eight per cent of all food security funding in emergencies goes to assist agricultural production but investing in agriculture and rural livelihoods is seven to 10 times more cost-effective than traditional assistance. "We must put policies in place that both increase productivity and protect natural resources," Qu said. Qu also spoke of the need to ensure better and more efficient use of available outputs and inputs, citing the examples of global water stress, food loss and waste, and using fertilizer more efficiently. Around one billion hectares of land face severe water constraints and almost 800 million hectares of rainfed cropland and pastureland are severely affected by recurring drought. Better use of the best technology and regulation for the efficient use of water in agriculture is needed. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/twitter-seeks-judicial-review-against-new-content-blocking-directives-from-the-it-ministry/articleshow/92677831.cms">Twitter seeks judicial review against new content blocking directives from the IT Ministry</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/investment/news/infy-lic-reliance-and-6-more-stocks-that-mutual-funds-are-going-long-on/articleshow/92693363.cms">Infosys is the most favourite mutual fund stock – find out the eight others</a>

The world is on the verge of a food crisis - access and availability both

New Delhi, Dec 12 () A parliamentary panel on Thursday rapped the government for slow pace of modernisation of 22,000 village haats across the country and asked it to set a deadline for revamping rural marketplaces.
The panel also suggested the government to take steps towards making the scheme of modernising village haats 'GrAM' as a fully funded central scheme.
It also asked the government to take urgent steps for setting up of a committee of state agriculture ministers for early adoption of Model Agriculture Produce and Livestock Market Committee (APML) Act, 2017.
Placing its report in the Lok Sabha, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture headed by BJP member P C Gaddigoudar said: "The committee is astonished to know that none of revamped and modernised gramin haats has been inaugurated so far".
The committee is of the view that gramin haats have potential to change the face of marketing of agriculture produce in the country and can significantly enhance the income of farmers.
"The committee, therefore, desire the department (of agriculture) to take all the necessary steps to enhance the pace of modernisation of gramin haats across the country and set a deadline for each state," the report said.
The report was on the action taken by the government on the recommendation of the panel on the issue of agriculture marketing and gramin haats.
The panel had recommended the government to finalise procedural formalities for early implementation of GrAM scheme, enhance number of gramin haats being targeted for modernisation under the scheme and ensure presence of one gramin haat in each panchayat in the country, besides exempting such haats from state APMC regulations.
Stating that the governments' replies were not satisfying, the committee said the Union Agriculture Ministry has informed that it is undertaking questionnaire-based survey of these haats, and so far survey of more than 11,000 rural haats have already been completed. The survey results has been shared with the Rural Development Ministry for development of basic infrastructure through MNREGA scheme by states.
Further, the ministry informed that it has circulated guidelines to all states and union territories to facilitate and promote better management in GrAMs and requested states to exempt the GrAMs from state APMC regulations, the committee said in the report.
The ministry has also informed that the physical infrastructure is being strengthened through MNREGA scheme and the government has also approved an Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund (AMIF) with a corpus of Rs 2,000 crore with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for developing and upgrading agriculture marketing infrastructure in 10,000 gramin haats and 585 APMC markets, it added.
With regard to funding for gramin haat modernisation, the committee said the availability of central government funds is necessary for expeditious completion of works under the GrAM scheme as "indecisiveness" of state governments regarding financing of works for such haats will delay the ambitious project.
"The committee, therefore, once again reiterate to make 'GrAMs scheme' as the fully funded central scheme," the report said.
In the 2018-19 Budget, the government had announced development and upgradation of existing 22,000 village haats to GrAMs.
With regard to the model APLM Act, the committee said it is anguished to note that despite specific recommendation, the government has not taken any step for constitution of a committee of state agriculture ministers in order to arrive at a consensus and chalk out legal framework for marketing of agriculture produce in the country.
"Unless urgent steps are not taken to reform platform for agriculture marketing and specifically APMC, farmers of our country will not be able to get remunerative pricing for their produce," the committee said and urged the government to take initiative in this regard without any further delay.
The government has informed that so far Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have adopted the law while Punjab has done it partially. And other states are at varied stages in the process of adoption, it added. LUX BAL

Par panel raps govt for slow pace of 22,000 village haats modernisation

<ul><li>National Bank for Agriculture And Rural Development (<keyword id="6360385" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="nabard">NABARD</keyword>) has announced a $100 million fund for <keyword id="6362513" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="startups">startups</keyword>. </li><li>According to reports, the new fund will look into equity investments in “asset-light, innovative, technology-led start-ups in its focus areas”. </li><li>India’s <keyword id="1366179" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Agritech">agritech</keyword> startups have been growing fast and securing quick investments in the past few years. </li></ul>India’s agritech and rural startups just got a huge boost with the government-owned National Bank for Agriculture And Rural Development (NABARD) <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/nabventures-launches-maiden-fund-to-back-agri-food-and-rural-start-ups/article27116329.ece">announcing</a> a $100 million fund for startups. Until now, NABARD had been instrumental in providing <keyword id="6356305" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="funds">funds</keyword> to startups through other funds. In January 2019, NABARD had announced the launch of NABVENTURES Ltd, which functions as its venture capital arm. According to <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/nabventures-launches-maiden-fund-to-back-agri-food-and-rural-start-ups/article27116329.ece">reports</a>, the fund will look into equity investments in “asset-light, innovative, technology-led start-ups in its focus areas” that is agriculture, food and rural development space. Agriculture is the most important contributing industry to the Indian economy, however, a problem that has persisted has been the lack of technologically sound advancements in the field. Farmers have had issues in various fields – dealing with the middlemen menace, storage of crops, surveillance etc. And here’s where agritech startups come in. Over the years, India has seen a growth in the number of agritech startups, which has also led to VCs and accelerator programs turn their focus to the sector, given that it caters to a large part of India’s population. This has resulted in agritech startups coming under the spotlight for investments and more. Recently, Ninjacart, an agritech supply-chain startup, got an $89 million funding in a Series C round from a marquee investor like Tiger Global. Now, with a focused fund coming in from the government’s NABARD, it will only boost the sector. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/blackbuck-raises-150-million-offers-employees-to-liquidate-stocks-upto-25/articleshow/69139508.cms">This Indian startup’s latest funding is also going to make its employees rich</a>

India’s state agricultural bank NABARD has a $100 million fund for startups

Jaipur, Nov 27 () Consumption of chemical fertilisers in the country will increase to 45 million tonnes by 2025 which will lead to increase in health hazards, experts said.
 Consumption of chemical fertilisers has been increasing in the country along with increase in agricultural production. Use of fertilisers increased to 25.6 million tonnes in 2014-15 from 1 million tonne in 1960s, CUTS International Director George Cheriyan said. 
 He was addressing a workshop on 'Developing a culture of sustainable consumption and lifestyle through organic production and consumption in Rajasthan' organised here on Wednesday.
 "As per a report, the country is estimated to require 45 million tonnes fertilisers to produce 300 million tonnes of food grains by 2025. Agricultural growth which was 8.67 per cent in 1960-70s was recorded 2.61 per cent in 2010," Cheriyan said.
 "Soil is losing fertility and production based on chemical fertilisers is adversely affecting human health. So, there is a growing need to increase organic production and consumption," he added.
 He said the Right to Health is a basic fundamental right and there is a need for urgent policy shift in the country.
 The workshop was attended by special guest V S Yadav, Dean, S.K.N. Agriculture University and Jagdish Pareek, a progressive organic farmer from Sikar district who has been awarded with Padma Shri.
 Pareek said farmers are borrowing money to make part payment to avail government subsidy and are trapped in vicious circle of loan interest, which leads to them committing suicide.
 He said the government should provide subsidy on agriculture equipment and purchase of seeds, instead of funding greenhouse or polyhouse.
 Yadav stressed on the need to adopt organic farming and asked organic producers to market their products. AG RVK

'Chemical fertiliser consumption to increase to 45 mn tonnes by 2025'

New Delhi, Feb 5 () Agricultural warehousing and logistics firm Leap India Food and Logistics Pvt Ltd on Wednesday said it has raised Rs 164 crore in Series-B funding from the Danish SDG Investment fund and Neev Fund. The Danish SDG Investment fund is a fund managed by Investment Fund for Developing Countries (IFU), Leap India said in a statement. With a twofold mission to connect the grain supply chain from farm to business and to transform itself into a robust Agri-Silos and Logistics platform, Leap India will utilise these funds towards tangible future growth, it added. "SDG Fund's investment, along with round two of investment from the Neev Fund, backed by the UK Government - Department for International Development (DFID) and State Bank of India, will allow us to expand and reach a critical size, while, at the same time, team up with strong, foreign institutional investors," Leap India promoters said. At Leap, the aim is to build a large platform of grain storage sites, which can help FCI and the private sector to make grain storage more efficient with the use of technology and modern storage infrastructure, they added. "By investing in Leap, we are addressing one of India's most pressing challenges, namely helping to improve food storage efficiency and reduce undernourishment, while having secured an attractive risk vs. return profile in the deal," IFU, South Asia VP Deepa Hingorani said. In a similar vein, Neev Fund CIO Manav Bansal said: "We welcome the Danish SDG Investment Fund as a partner and co-investor in Leap India. This fructifies our fidelity to the Sustainable Development Goals of poverty alleviation by doubling farmer income through food security in India." The investment positions Leap India as a trailblazer in defining the food infrastructure industry, which is the next sunrise industry of Asia, he added. Neev Fund was the first investor in Leap India and has also invested alongside the Danish SDG Investment Fund in this round. AKT SHWSHW

Leap India raises Rs 164 cr in Series-B Funding

New Delhi, Feb 1 () Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday hailed the Budget 2020 saying adequate fund to the tune of Rs 1.60 lakh crore has been allocated for agriculture and its allied sector including irrigation for the next fiscal.
 A 16-point action plan has been chalked out for realising the target of doubling farmers' income by 2022, he said, adding that several schemes like PM-Kisan are being implemented are benefitting the farming community.
 "The government's focus has been 'Gaon, gareeb and kisan' and the focus in the Budget on providing better facilities to this section reinforces the government's commitment of 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas," Tomar said in a statement.
 Rs 1.60 lakh crore has been allocated for the agriculture and its allied sector, and Rs 1.23 lakh crore for the rural development, he added.
 Tomar, who is also rural development minister, said the Budget 2020 proposes to give relief to women and middle class people as the focus has been on addressing issues related to health, education, skill development and clean water.
 He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for allocating sufficient funds for both agriculture and rural development ministries. LUX ANS
ANS

Agri Min says adequate funds given for farm, rural development in FY21

New Delhi, Feb 12 () National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited (NCDEX) has filed its offer document with markets regulator Sebi for an initial public offering. The IPO comprises a fresh issue aggregating up to Rs 100 crore and an offer for sale of up to 1,44,53,774 equities by shareholders, according to the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP). The issue is expected to raise Rs 500 crore, including fresh offering, merchant banking sources said. The selling shareholders include Build India Capital Advisors LLP, Canara Bank, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited, Investcorp Private Equity Fund I (formerly known as IDFC Private Equity Fund III), Jaypee Capital Services Limited, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Oman India Joint Investment Fund and Punjab National Bank, it said. The exchange proposes to utilise the net proceeds towards contribution to the core settlement guarantee fund (Core SGF) and towards net worth requirements of National Commodity Clearing Limited (NCCL) and general corporate purposes, as per the document. The book running lead managers to the offer are ICICI Securities and SBI Capital Markets. National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange is a leading agricultural commodity exchange in India. The exchange offers services across the entire post-harvest agricultural commodities value chain by utilising a varied presence, which has enabled it to create a wide network of stakeholders and market participants. It also engages in research, training and building awareness in agricultural commodities market through NCDEX Institute of Commodity Markets and Research. Some of the key investors include National Stock Exchange of India, Life Insurance Corporation of India, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Co-operative, Oman India Joint Investment Fund, Punjab National Bank, Canara Bank, Build India Capital Advisors LLP, and Investcorp Private Equity Fund I (formerly known as IDFC Private Equity Fund III). The shares are proposed to be listed on the BSE and NSE. SUM ANSANS

NCDEX files offer document for IPO

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/54144402@N03/21944592690/">Flickr/Bob Dass</a>Hunting for seed funding in the blooming ag-tech industry.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Specialised venture capital firms are focussing on the future of food, farming and agricultural technology, dubbed 'ag tech'. </li><li>Some $700 million was invested into the nascent "ag tech" industry in 2017, with a larger proportion of funding coming from venture capital.</li><li>Investors within the space may be able to expect decent - one investor says even double-digit - returns.</li></ul>The next market ripe for disruption: food. Some $700 million was invested into the nascent "ag tech" industry in 2017, with a larger proportion of funding coming from venture capital. While that is tiny compared to the about $4.2 billion that Agfunder found is ploughed into agriculture sector globally, investors say there's a major evolution afoot - farms are becoming fewer, bigger and more professionally minded, and thus have a growing demand for technology."Food is the next major market that needs disrupting," says Chris Kerr, chief investment officer at New Crop Capital. "There's a variety of levers on the market from religion and ethics to climate change, lactose intolerance, sustainability, and health benefits, which are forcing traditional markets to adapt." Funds such as Cultivian, New Crop Capital, Anterra Capital, Finistere Ventures, and Pontifax Agtech are becoming a vital part of the financing system for startups in agriculture as well as more established names. Investors say the field isn't yet crowded, but growth has put it far from its previous wasteland. Venture capital has targeted both early and late plays in the agricultural markets from research students with a great discovery and universities that need professional backing, to more mature projects which require series C or D funding in the realms of millions of dollars.The other major change has been the shift in demand from consumers who now seek different types of products and greater transparency about the provenance and quality of food. From vegan diets, to those who won't eat genetically modified or non-free-range products, consumers are driving a fundamental change in the way that food and by extension the agricultural industry processes new systems.Another key issue causing greater demand for farm robotics and artificial intelligence in agriculture has been the demographic shift which has seen the labor pool for agriculture dry up. That, alongside environmental degradation affecting water supplies, and increased demand for meat in developed markets is forcing innovation and new funding requirements on the industry.Venture capital isn't alone in funding new ventures. Some of the world's largest chemical companies like Dupont, Monsanto, Syngenta, and BASF are forming their own investment arms to aid the development of improved agriculture methods. Investors within the space may be able to expect decent - one investor says even double-digit - returns, given the current lack of major competition for venture capital. The space looks set to become more competitive. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bernie-bernard-madoff-life-prison-2017-5">Bernie Madoff was arrested 10 years ago today - here's what his life is like in prison</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

'Food is the next major market that needs disrupting': Venture capital is piling into 'ag tech' in the race for the future of food

<ul><li>American philanthropist and <keyword id="10387" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Microsoft">Microsoft</keyword> Co-Founder <keyword id="45830" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bill-Gates">Bill Gates</keyword> recently regained his status as the world’s richest man, dethroning Amazon’s <keyword id="191583" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jeff-Bezos">Jeff Bezos</keyword>. </li><li>The Bill and <keyword id="131379" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Melinda-Gates">Melinda Gates</keyword> Foundation works to develop innovative ways to counter the socio-economic gaps in the country. </li><li>The trust works across four sectors — health, financial services, sanitation and agricultural development — to improve the quality of life. </li><li>The foundation has also invested in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Institute (WASHi) — which trains over 100 sanitation professionals.</li></ul>American philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates — who recently regained his status as the world’s richest man dethroning Amazon’s Jeff Bezos — has been putting his wealth to good use. And India has a lot to gain from it. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation develops innovative ways to counter the many socio-economic gaps in the country. In India, its focus is on Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The trust works across health, financial services, sanitation and agricultural development. Its initiatives in India includes Digital Green organisation, PCI (<keyword id="8347466" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Project-Concern-International">Project Concern International</keyword>), Bharat, BioE and Serum amongst others. Here is a look at all the activities of Bill and Melinda Gates’ Foundation in India. Healthcare The foundation has been working with Bihar government for over a decade to eradicate malnutrition in mothers and children. The move aims to bring down child mortality rate. After its many initiatives, the child mortality rate in Bihar fell by a third. In the early 2000’s, Bill and Melinda Gates met women from the commercial sex industry — who were suffering from <keyword id="6363554" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="HIV">HIV</keyword>. In 2002, it announced a <a href="https://www.gatesfoundation.org/media-center/press-releases/2002/11/hivaids-prevention-effort-in-india">$100 million fund</a> to lessen the spread of HIV/AIDS in India. “Many of them were despised and stigmatized in their own communities. Why they ended up having to trade sex was basically survival, and what it meant to them to have people from outside come and listen to their stories, be willing to hug and embrace them, and treat them like human beings was a very moving moment,” Physician Helene Gayle<a href="https://fortune.com/longform/bill-melinda-gates-worlds-greatest-leaders/"> told </a>Fortune. In 2010, the Gates Foundation also developed and tested new techniques to improve healthcare. It developed teaching aids, undertook nurse-mentoring programmes amongst others. Sanitation In 2012, PCI (Project Concern International) project — <a href="https://www.gatesfoundation.org/where-we-work/india-office">‘Parivartan</a>’ — encouraged self-help groups to take up healthy and hygienic practices. “The Parivartan project found that the key was providing a range of healthier options instead of prescribing a single solution that might not work for everyone,” the Gates Foundation said. Soon after, it launched ‘Jeevika’ programme in Bihar to promote sanitation. The foundation also invested in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Institute (WASHi) — which extends technical assistance to various state governments along with training programmes for communities. The initiative has trained over 100 sanitation professionals. Agricultural Development Digital Green is a global development organization that empowers small farmers. In the last few years, the organisation has educated over 1.3 million smallholder farmers. Particularly in Bihar, it helped rice farmers improve their yields by 20%. It is also helping farmers collect and transport produce in a way that generates better prices in the market. Financial Services The Gates Foundation also extends digital financial services to government and private sector entities which help the disadvantaged make safe payments. It aims to protect the poor from unexpected financial shocks. It also works with corporates to design digital financial products.

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