Noting that food remains one of the basic necessities of life for every human being, President Droupadi Murmu on Sunday underlined that the large-scale prevalence of hunger is not due to the lack of production but due to the lack of distribution.

President Murmu, who was speaking at the valedictory session of the World Food India-2023 (WFI) in the national capital today, appreciated the Ministry of Food Processing Industries for organising the second edition of World Food India.

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She said that the WFI will go a long way in making the rich Indian food culture more familiar to the world. This will also prove to be a great platform for micro, small and medium enterprises in this sector to better align themselves with larger domestic and global players, she added.

The President said the WFI has the potential to help India become a kitchen to the world. The event is also an ideal platform to showcase India as a sourcing hub for agricultural and food commodities. She expressed confidence that the investor community must have found immense opportunities in our food processing and allied sectors.

She said food is a defining characteristic of humankind. The shift from foraging to agriculture and from raw food to cooked food was the beginning of civilization. Food is invariably the cornerstone of any culture. Moreover, just as food helps forge bonds among strangers, it has been food that has historically brought different cultures closer, she added.

The President said that it is distressing indeed to realise that a substantial number of human beings go to bed on an empty stomach in many parts of the world. This puts a strain on the great economic and technological progress humankind has achieved, she said.

Pointing out the environmental costs of what we eat, she said: “The time has come when we have to choose our menu in a way that avoids any harm to nature.” “We need to make conscious decisions to shift away from those foods that add to the problem of climate change and to shift towards the ones that are good for not only our health but also for the health of the planet,” she added.