India’s strategic move to include the African Union in G20 highlights Africa’s role as a key player in worldwide growth and stability. This expands the G21’s share of the global population from 66% to 84%.
Together, India and Africa, which make up 36% of the world’s population, sadly host 69.4% (503 million) of the world’s undernourished people as of 2020-2022. The majority of the world’s malnourished children under five years old, suffering from stunting and wasting, live in these regions.
A major challenge for the Global South, especially India and Africa is this: How can it guide the world towards food and nutritional security, given the impacts of climate change?
- Both India and Africa suffer from persistent poverty and widespread undernourishment.
- Nutritional insecurity in these regions demands more nutrition-sensitive agricultural policies.
- Techniques like bio-fortification of staple crops are cost-effective and can ensure nutritious diets in malnourished areas.
- Organisations like the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR) and the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) have created nutrient-rich food crops, which include iron and zinc biofortified pearl millet, zinc-bio fortified rice and wheat, and iron biofortified beans.
- These innovations can be widely implemented to reduce malnutrition and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of eliminating hunger and malnutrition by 2030.
- WASH initiatives, like India’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, could multiply nutritional outcomes.
- Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which increased household sanitation coverage from 48.5% to 70% between 2015-16 and 2019-21, could serve as a learning model for Africa.
- This initiative aimed to eliminate open defecation and eradicate manual scavenging. It’s a potential solution to high malnutrition levels.
- The African Union’s inclusion in the G20 (now G21) marks a significant milestone during India’s G20 presidency. However, its true significance lies in the effective collaboration between India and Africa to address food and nutrition security amidst the challenges of climate change. While this task may seem daunting, it is indeed achievable through the application of science and the implementation of open trade policies.
Source: This editorial analysis is based on the an article titled “A time for South-South Learning”, published in the Indian Express, date: September 18, 2023)