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Nobel Peace Prize 2020 awarded to World Food Programme

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 has been awarded to United Nation’s World Food Programme (WFP) for its continuous efforts to combat hunger, betterment of people in war-torn and conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict. The World Food Programme is playing a key role in multilateral cooperation on making food security an instrument of peace and has made a strong contribution towards mobilizing the UN Member States to combat the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict. David Muldrow Beasley is currently the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme.

Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/world/nobel-peace-prize-2020-awarded-to-world-food-programme-11602233028773.html

Argentina becomes 1^st country in world to approve GM wheat

Argentina has approved the cultivation and consumption of genetically modified (GM) wheat and became the first country in world to do so. The genetic modifications, however, would have to be approved in Brazil, which accounted for 45 percent of Argentina`s wheat exports in 2019. The drought resistant HB4 wheat variety was developed by Bioceres, an Argentine biotechnology company working with the National University and CONICET (National Commission for Science and Technology). During the field trials, HB4 variety showed an average 20 per cent yield improvement in drought situations.

Source: https://phys.org/news/2020-10-argentina-country-genetically-wheat.amp?utm_campaign=fullarticle&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=inshorts

PM Modi dedicates 17 biofortified varieties on the occasion of 75th Anniversary of FAO

To mark the 75^th Anniversary of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), PM Narendra Modi released a commemorative coin of Rs 75 denomination and 17 biofortified varieties of 8 crops. Among these biofortified varieties the rice variety CR Dhan 315 has high zinc; wheat variety HI 1633 rich in protein, iron and zinc, HD 3298 rich in protein and iron and DBW 303 and DDW 48 rich in protein in wheat; Ladhowal Quality Protein Maize Hybrid 1, 2 and 3 rich in lysine and tryptophan; CFMV1 and 2 of finger millet rich in calcium, iron and zinc; CLMV1 of little Millet rich in iron and zinc; Pusa Mustard 32 with low erucic acid; Girnar 4 and 5 of groundnut with enhanced oleic acid and yam variety Sri Neelima and DA 340 with enhanced zinc, iron and anthocyanin content. To combat malnutrition India has launched POSHAN (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition) Abhiyaan targeting over 100 million people.

Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1664231

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