Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the FAO Agricola Medal in Rome, the UN agency’s highest recognition for leadership in agriculture, food security, and rural development.
Modi became the first Indian head of government in three decades to visit the FAO headquarters. He dedicated the honour to India’s farmers, scientists, and agricultural workers, calling them the nation’s true ‘Annadatas’.
FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu praised India’s farmer-centric reforms, citing regenerative farming, biodiversity protection, and digital infrastructure as transformative. Modi highlighted technology’s role in agriculture, from AI-based advisories to drones, stressing the importance of producing better rather than only more. India has developed 3,000 climate-resilient crop varieties in the past decade and expanded agricultural exports, reflecting a dual focus on scale and sustainability.
The Agricola Medal places Modi alongside global leaders recognised for combating hunger, including former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. FAO commended India’s vast food safety net covering 800 million people, direct farmer income support, and millet promotion during the International Year of Millets. These initiatives align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and strengthen India’s voice for the Global South on food security.
The Rome ceremony coincided with Modi’s visit to Italy, where India-Italy ties advanced to a Special Strategic Partnership with agreements on defence, trade, and innovation. The FAO honour reinforced India’s global agrifood policy leadership while carrying domestic political weight by showcasing international validation of Modi’s agricultural agenda.
