HAND-IN-HAND (HIH) INITIATIVE: Key Facts

Context Recently, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) Director-General opened the third Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum. About Hand-in-Hand Initiative : Launched in 2019, it is a flagship program of the FAO.

The initiative aims to: Eradicate poverty (SDG1), End hunger and malnutrition (SDG2), Reduce inequalities (SDG10). It focuses on accelerating market-based transformation of agri-food systems to: Raise incomes, Improve nutrition, Empower vulnerable populations, Strengthen resilience to climate change. Member countries: 72 countries have joined, but India is not a member. About FAO (Food and Agricultural Organisation) - FAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN), leading global efforts to defeat hunger. It is the oldest permanent specialized UN agency, founded in October 1945.

Mandate: Improve nutrition, Increase agricultural productivity, Raise the standard of living in rural areas, and Contribute to global economic growth.

Members: 194 Member States plus the European Union. India has been a member since 1945, with the headquarters in Rome, Italy.