Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh has said that India has undertaken a series of transformative and inclusive initiatives to ensure food security, improve nutritional outcomes, strengthen livelihoods, and eradicate poverty.  Addressing the 2nd Global Conference on Sustainable Livestock Transformation at the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome, Shri Singh highlighted India’s farmer-centric initiatives, Innovations and transformations that are driving inclusive growth in the livestock and dairy sector in the country.   

 

 

He said that since COVID-19, India’s welfare measures have lifted 269 million people out of extreme poverty, reducing it from 27.1% to 5.3%, as per the 2025 World Bank Report. He underlined the central role of the livestock sector in providing sustainable livelihoods to nearly two-thirds of rural households and millions of small and marginal farmers, many of them being women. The Minister credited India’s livestock progress to people-centric policies, global cooperation, and the resilience of smallholder farmers. 

 

 

While conveying India’s deep appreciation to FAO and its Director-General Dr QU Dongyu for inviting India to share its experiences and best practices, Shri Singh expressed pride in India’s role as the First Vice Chair of the Sub-Committee on Livestock established under FAO. He reaffirmed India’s 80-year partnership with FAO and commitment to share scalable innovations with the Global South.