PM Modi receives ‘Agricola Medal’, Food and Agriculture Organisation’s highest honour in Italy | LIVE

What Happened

• During a five-nation diplomatic tour, the Prime Minister received the Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) highest honour, the Agricola Medal, at the FAO Plenary Hall in Rome on 20 May 2026.
• FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu presented the medal in recognition of India's exceptional contributions to food security, sustainable agriculture, and rural development at both the national and global level.
• The FAO chief specifically cited India's food-based social safety net covering approximately 800 million people, direct income support to over 110 million farmers, and the push for millet promotion through the International Year of Millets (2023).
• The Prime Minister dedicated the honour to Indian farmers and the agricultural scientific community, calling it "a tribute to India's commitment to human welfare."
• The visit marked the first by an Indian head of government to FAO headquarters in 30 years; MoUs between India and Italy were also signed during the broader tour.

Static Topic Bridges

Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)

FAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations established on 16 October 1945, at a conference in Quebec City, Canada. Its founding objective was to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, improve agricultural productivity, and better the conditions of rural populations worldwide. India was among FAO's founding members in 1945, and FAO operations in India began formally in 1948.

Headquarters and Structure: - Headquarters: Rome, Italy (moved from Washington D.C. in 1951) - Governing body: Biennial Conference of all member states, which elects a 49-member Executive Council - Current Director-General: Qu Dongyu (China; elected 2019) - Membership: 195 members (194 countries + the European Union) - Budget: Funded through assessed contributions and voluntary contributions from members

Key Mandates and Programmes: - World Food Programme (WFP) — co-founded with the UN, addresses emergency food relief - FAOSTAT — global statistical database on agriculture, food, fisheries, forestry - Codex Alimentarius Commission — sets international food safety standards (jointly with WHO) - IPPC (International Plant Protection Convention) — prevents spread of plant pests - State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) — annual flagship report on the sector

The Agricola Medal

The Agricola Medal was established by FAO in 1977. It is the organisation's highest honour, conferred by the Director-General on extraordinary leaders who demonstrate commitment and concrete action in support of FAO's mandate to eradicate hunger, reduce poverty, and ensure food security.

Notable previous recipients: - King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Thailand) - Pope John Paul II - Chinese President Jiang Zemin - Former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (2008) - Indonesian President Joko Widodo

India's Agricultural Diplomacy and Food Security Architecture

India's food security architecture has evolved through several policy generations:

The Green Revolution Legacy: - 1960s–70s: Introduction of High-Yielding Varieties (HYV) of wheat and rice, chemical fertiliser expansion, and irrigation expansion transformed India from a food-aid recipient to a surplus producer.

National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013: - Legal entitlement to subsidised grain for up to 75% of rural and 50% of urban population (approximately 800 million people) - Beneficiaries receive rice, wheat, and coarse grains at ₹3/₹2/₹1 per kg respectively under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)

PM-KISAN (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi): - Launched 2019; provides ₹6,000 per year in three equal instalments as direct income support to farmer families - Covers over 110 million farmers; funds transferred directly to bank accounts under DBT framework

International Year of Millets 2023: - India proposed the UNGA resolution (adopted at the 75th session, 2021) declaring 2023 the International Year of Millets - India is the world's largest millet producer (~20% of global production, ~80% of Asia's production) - Millets (jowar, bajra, ragi, foxtail) are drought-resistant, nutritious, and climate-resilient — suited for semi-arid agriculture - FAO served as the lead agency for the Year's global coordination

Natural and Regenerative Farming: - Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), pioneered by Subhash Palekar, reduces external input costs for farmers - Recognised by FAO as contributing to soil health and agro-biodiversity; aligns with SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 15 (Life on Land)

Key Facts & Data

• FAO established: 16 October 1945 (World Food Day is observed on this date annually)
• FAO HQ: Rome, Italy
• Director-General (2026): Qu Dongyu
• India: FAO founding member (1945); FAO India office operational since 1948
• Agricola Medal established: 1977
• Agricola Medal awarded to India: 2008 (Manmohan Singh), 2026
• NFSA 2013 coverage: ~800 million people (5 kg grain/person/month at subsidised rates)
• PM-KISAN: ₹6,000/year to 110+ million farmer families since 2019
• International Year of Millets: 2023 (India's initiative; proposed at UNGA 2021)
• India's millet production: ~20% of global output
• India millet exports: USD 34.32 million (2021-22)
• FAO members: 195 (194 nations + EU)
• India's last PM visit to FAO HQ before 2026: approximately 1996