Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was today conferred with the prestigious Agricola Medal for 2026 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, at the FAO Headquarters in Rome. The award was conferred in recognition of his exceptional leadership to address food security, sustainable agriculture and rural development in India and at the global level.
Prime Minister received the award from Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director General of FAO. He dedicated the honour to Indian farmers and the Indian agricultural scientific community, who tirelessly work to ensure food security and nutrition for Indians and for people around the World.
He underlined that the recognition was a tribute to India’s commitment to human welfare, food security and sustainable development. Highlighting the centrality of agrarian life in India, Prime Minister emphasized that agriculture was a sacred bond between Mother Earth and the Indian people.
Prime Minister noted that India’s scientific and innovation-based approach to farming was fostering a sustainable, climate-resilient and future-ready ecosystem. In this endeavor, he expressed that practices such as ‘Per Drop More Crop’ and mission-based approach to micro-irrigation and precision farming were guiding its agricultural policies.
Elaborating on tech-based farming solutions, he stated that Digital Public Infrastructure, AI-based advisory systems, drones, remote-sensing technologies and sensor-based machinery were helping Indian farmers to reap rich harvest and higher farm incomes. He stated that in the last 10 years, India had developed around 3,000 climate-resilient crop varieties.
Prime Minister noted that India’s science-driven agriculture is strengthening global food security, in particular for countries in the Global South. Prime Minister recalled that as a founding member of FAO, India was privileged to work with the organization to foster global food security, sustainable agriculture and a hunger-free world.
He thanked FAO for working with India to promote healthy food choices through the celebration of the International Year of Millets. Prime Minister Modi’s visit to FAO Headquarters was the first by an Indian Head of Government in the last 30 years.