Bhubaneswar, June 24 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik took the stage at the World Food Programme (WFP) headquarters in Rome to share the transformational progress made by his state on strengthening livelihoods and food security with a specific focus on marginalised communities and women.
The Chief Minister is currently in Rome at the invitation of the WFP to visit its headquarters and share the state’s transformational initiatives.
He delivered an address in the presence of WFP Executive Director David Beasley and the UN body’s leadership team. He also held interactions on existing partnerships and programmes that the Odisha government and WFP in India are collaborating on, to deliver the common agenda of zero hunger.
In his address at the WHP, Patnaik said, over the last two decades, Odisha has been through a transformational journey in the field of food production, food security, livelihoods, disaster management, and so on.
By attaining food sufficiency, initiating large-scale development programmes designed around creating climate resilient livelihoods and nutrition, and focussing on partnerships, the state is moving consistently towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and inclusive development, he said.
“It would be our pleasure to share our experience across the world through WFP and its partner agencies,” he added.
Welcoming the CM, Beasley said: “It is a pleasure to welcome the Chief Minister of Odisha and share our impressions on the innovative work the state is doing in partnership with WFP in India. Our joint goal of strengthening livelihoods and food security across Odisha is being translated into action with a series of ambitious projects to support inclusive development and new economic opportunities, especially for women.
“It’s exciting to see how our collaboration is helping to drive Odisha’s progress towards achieving Zero Hunger and the other UN Sustainable Development Goals.”
Recognising and appreciating the transformational work of the Odisha government in the fields of disaster management, food production and food security, Beasley said the success story of Odisha can provide learning insights for other similarly placed countries.
“We have discussed today that the government of Odisha and WFP will collaborate to take forward this learning experience and provide a global training platform,” he added.
The Chief Minister also expressed appreciation for the partnership with WFP on several fronts that have not only been effective in the state but have also been scaled up nationally.
WFP and the Odisha government had signed four partnership agreements and initiated six new projects in 2021.
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