The Government of India and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) have formalized a significant partnership aimed at combating global hunger by signing an agreement that outlines plans for future collaboration. Under this initiative, India’s Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD) will supply fortified rice—regular rice enriched with essential vitamins and minerals—to support vulnerable populations in crisis-affected areas around the world. This step ensures that WFP can better meet urgent food and nutrition needs through a reliable supply of high-quality grains sourced from India.
“India is committed to the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – the earth is one family – and collective responsibility towards each other and their shared future. The country’s humanitarian support for communities in need, facing food insecurity, is part of this approach,” said Mr. Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary, DFPD, Government of India. This collaboration reflects India’s broader commitment to global humanitarian assistance, leveraging its agricultural surplus to strengthen international food security.
For WFP, the partnership provides enhanced capacity to deliver life-saving food assistance at scale. “We appreciate India’s growing role on the world humanitarian stage and in efforts to end hunger. As a partner, they bring cutting-edge expertise, diplomatic and political influence, and massive scale,” said Carl Skau, Deputy Executive Director, WFP. The collaboration is particularly timely given the ongoing global uncertainty and worsening hunger crises, positioning India as a key partner in innovative and efficient food distribution solutions.
The agreement builds on earlier discussions at the WFP Executive Board side event, establishing a foundation for a sustainable and reliable supply of food grains for humanitarian relief. Additional areas of collaboration include optimizing supply chains, rolling out fortified rice programs, deploying automated Annapurti devices for grain distribution, establishing community-based Jan Poshan Kendras to improve nutrition, implementing Smart Warehousing technology, and using Flospans for food storage.
Senior representatives from both India and WFP, including Mr. Ashutosh Agnihotri, Chairman and Managing Director of the Food Corporation of India, Mr. Samir Wanmali, WFP Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, and Ms. Elisabeth Faure, WFP Country Director for India, participated in the launch, emphasizing the commitment to strengthening partnerships that ensure effective, large-scale humanitarian food support.
