Pres. Obama, Indian PM Singh Announce Partnership To Improve Global Food Security

During a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday, President Barack Obama announced a new partnership between U.S. and Indian agriculture sectors to help improve food security globally, Press Trust International/Livemint.com reports (11/8). India is the first stop on Obama's 10-day Asia-Pacific tour that began on Saturday, IST/Reuters/Economic Times reports (11/7).

According to a White House release, posted on the Wall Street Journal's "India Real Time" blog, Obama and Singh "agreed to work together to develop, test, and replicate transformative technologies to extend food security in India as part of an 'Evergreen Revolution.'" The release continues, "These efforts build on the historic legacy of cooperation between the United States and India during the Green Revolution, and will benefit farmers and consumers in India, the United States, and around the globe, and will extend food security in India, Africa and globally" (11/8).

"'India probably has the most dynamic, innovative public partnership-orientated approach to agriculture in terms of the incorporation of technology,' USAID Administrator Raj Shah told Reuters in an interview," IST/Reuters/Economic Times writes. "We see great potential in bringing a lot of that technology, know-how, expertise and commitment to improving small-holder agriculture to sub-Saharan Africa," Shah said, according to the news service (11/7).

"The Partnership for an Evergreen Revolution will contribute to achieving the objectives of the U.S. global development policy, which places a premium on broad-based economic growth as the foundation for sustainable development, and the bilateral U.S. Feed the Future Initiative, which focuses on creating a foundation for sustainable economic growth by helping countries accelerate inclusive agriculture sector growth through improved agricultural productivity, expanded markets and trade, and increased economic resilience in vulnerable rural communities," the White House press release states (11/8).