WORLD FOOD INDIA 2023 (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – IR)

Context: Prime Minister of India will inaugurate the second edition of the Mega food event ‘World Food India 2023’ at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. With the aim to strengthen Self Help Groups, the Prime Minister will disburse Seed Capital Assistance for over one lakh SHG members.

World Food India 2023

• About: World Food India 2023 serves as an entry point to the Indian food economy, fostering collaborations between Indian and international investors.
• Aim: to exhibit India's rich food culture and draw international investments into the food processing sector. 

oIt will create a gathering of manufacturers, producers, investors, policymakers, and organizations representing the global food ecosystem.

• Benefits: It will present investment prospects in areas such as backward linkages, processing equipment, research and development, cold chain storage, startups, logistics, and retail chains.
• First Edition: World Food India was held in 2017
• Focus Areas: Leveraging millets as a superfood; positioning India as a global hub for food processing; unlocking growth potentials in strategic segments; establishing an efficient ecosystem, and promoting sustainable development.

Self Help Groups

• About: SHGs are informal associations of individuals who join together with the goal of improving their living conditions. 
• They can be defined as self-governed, peer-controlled groups comprising people with similar socio-economic backgrounds who share a collective desire to pursue a common purpose. 
• SHGs operate based on the principle of "Self Help" to promote self-employment and poverty reduction. 
• Objectives

oEnhancing the functional capabilities of economically disadvantaged individuals for employment and income-generating activities.

oResolving conflicts through collective leadership and mutual discussions.

oOffering collateral-free loans with terms determined by the group, aligned with market-driven rates.