Food security and poverty alleviation in India - IUPUI SDG Global Conversations

Originally presented as a part of the IUPUI International Festival on February 23, 2021, and as a part of the ongoing SDG Global Conversations hosted by the IUPUI Office of International Affairs. Presented in partnership with IU Global Gateways: India Gateway

This virtual gathering addresses the challenge of ending poverty and hunger in India (SDGs 1 & 2). Presentations from both India and the US will allow for a better understanding of the perspectives of farmers and the government.

Panelists:

•     Jayan Jose Thomas - IIT Delhi
•     Vinod Verma - University of Delhi
•     Kevin Brown, Indiana University, and representatives of the Sikh Satsang of Indianapolis
•     Kanwal Prakash (KP) Singh
•     Maninder Walia Singh
•     Gaganpal Dhaliwal

Recent reforms in agriculture have brought global visibility to attempts at alleviating poverty and hunger in India. Around 50 percent of Indians depend on agriculture directly, but agriculture only makes up 15 percent of the country’s GDP. Productivity has been slowing for years and falling prices have left millions of Indian farmers with crushing debt. The Indian government wants to address the problem by opening agriculture to the free market, which farmers say will make small-scale farming impossible. Hear both sides of the story at this virtual forum.