Everyone Should Understand the Importance of Food & Reduce Food Wastage: Dr. MS Kundu

The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has announced December 3rd as "Agricultural Education Day" to mark the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna-Dr. Rajendra Prasad, who was also the first president of Independent India and Union Minister of Food and Agriculture of India in 1946.

Agricultural education is critical in a country like India, where agriculture employs 60% of the population. Agriculture not only produces food and raw materials, but it also employs a significant portion of the country's people.

Agricultural education entails much more than simply teaching students the essentials of farming and livestock rearing.

On this day, an attempt is made to inspire and urge everyone towards farming in order for them to acquire an interest in this subject. Krishi Jagran organized a webinar on December 3rd to raise awareness of the significance of this day. Many renowned personalities attended the webinar and expressed their perspectives on the 'Importance of Agriculture Education for All.'

MC Dominic, Founder & Editor in Chief, Krishi Jagran & Agriculture World, greeted all speakers and started his speech by emphasizing the significance of agriculture education in today's world. He also highlighted the significance of Agri Media in serving Agri students and the farming community.

Dr. MS Kundu, Director of Extension, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Bihar also participated in the webinar and shared his valuable points on the importance of agricultural education.

While addressing the audience he said, "Agriculture sector employs 52 percent of the total population hence they understand the significance of food. But 48% don't know, and they believe I have money and purchasing power, so I can squander rice or wheat, but what they don't realize is that it nourishes your body.”

“The other 48% should be informed about the efforts farmers make to grow these products. Last year, India produced 305 million tonnes of food grains, of which 68.8 million tonnes were wasted; India ranks second in terms of food wastage while China ranks first “he stated.

“As a result, 4.3 percent of the total grain produced in India is wasted. So it is our responsibility to educate these people who are squandering food. The hunger index has increased. If we will properly distribute waste food, how much waste food can we feed our population? This is something we never considered. I looked through the waste food data of the total food, which included milk, meat, eggs, and vegetables. This accounts for almost 40% of overall agricultural production in India, thus the question is: who is squandering the food? The answer is those who aren't directly related to the agriculture sector” He added.

“It should be integrated into their course curriculum. What exactly is the significance of food? They will then be aware of the actual scenario of food wastage. If we want to offer farmers a decent living, the entire world's population should be aware of how food is grown, and how to reduce food wastage” he concluded.

The webinar was concluded by Shruti Nigam, Content Manager, Krishi Jagran with the vote of thanks.