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LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Vouchers for poor? UN in talks with govt on zero hunger goal -Subodh Ghildiyal

Vouchers for poor? UN in talks with govt on zero hunger goal -Subodh Ghildiyal

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published Published on Jul 19, 2014   modified Modified on Jul 19, 2014
-The Times of India


SYDNEY: World Food Programme executive director Ertharin Cousin said she is in talks with the Indian government and states to explore food vouchers for the poor facing starvation and malnourishment.

Cousin said vouchers are important in taking food to those who face shortage. "We are talking to India on how food vouchers can be used to make food available to the vulnerable groups," she told TOI on the sidelines of the B-20 Australia Summit that has brought big business together in a lead-up event ahead of the November's G-20 Summit of the government heads.

The comment from the head of the world body adds another dimension to the Right to Food (RTF) that awaits implementation. RTF was passed by UPA-2 in Parliament and is likely to be rolled out soon by the Narendra Modi government.

Subsidized food vs vouchers is a debate that was thought to have been settled with the Food Guarantee Act, a polarizing issue among the civil society.

Cousin refused to be drawn into an either-or situation but stuck to vouchers by arguing that different modalities could be employed in the course of achieving food security, with zero hunger being one of United Nations' key Millennium Development Goals.

She said that the world faces problems of food shortage and also of food being available but being out of the reach of certain weak communities. "In certain places and with certain communities, the vouchers, we believe, can be the right idea and can serve the purpose of helping the vulnerable groups," she said.

Cousin has been invited to the global business gathering for discussions on how the food security converges with business growth.

Referring to the stress on food security in India, Cousin said that the country was an example for the world. "We have a lot to learn from India that recognizes that economic growth was not being felt across all social groups," she said.

Addressing reporters at the B-20 summit venue, she said economic growth does not automatically guarantee the end of hunger and that top economies like the United States have "safety nets" and programmes to buffer the vulnerable groups.

She told reporters that China has benefitted the maximum from WFP efforts while India, despite the massive economic development, has the largest number of children facing malnourishment. Cousin said no government or organization alone can achieve zero-hunger and there is need for help from private sector, which has to go beyond providing money to technological capabilities.


The Times of India, 18 July, 2014, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Vouchers-for-poor-UN-in-talks-with-govt-on-zero-hunger-goal/articleshow/38572343.cms


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