GUWAHATI, Oct 12 - World Food Day will be celebrated on October 16 with various programmes across the State.
The theme of World Food Day this year is �Climate is changing, Food and Agriculture must too�, stated a press release issued by Mowsam Hazarika, Assistant Director of Agriculture, Directorate of Horticulture and Food Processing.
The statement said that one of the biggest issues related to climate change is food security.
�The poorest of the world � many of them being farmers, fishers and pastoralists � are hit hardest by rising temperatures and an increasing frequency in weather-related disasters. At the same time, the global population is growing steadily and is expected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050. To meet such a heavy demand, agriculture and food systems will need to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change and become more resilient, productive and sustainable. This is the only way that we can ensure the wellbeing of ecosystems and rural population and reduce emissions,� said the statement.
It added, �Growing food in a sustainable way means adopting practices that produce more with less in the same area of land and use natural resources wisely. It also means reducing food losses before the final product or retail stage through a number of initiatives, including better harvesting, storage, packing, transport, infrastructure, market mechanisms, as well as institutional and legal frameworks. This is why the message for World Food Day 2016 is �Climate is changing. Food and agriculture must too�.�
According to the statement, by strengthening the resilience of smallholder farmers, we can guarantee food security for the planet�s increasingly hungry global population.
�The farmers of Assam are already experiencing climate change and its impact on their farming practices. In this context, several agricultural scientists and agricultural extension activists already started their research and planning seriously to address this issue,� it added.
