Press Gaggle: Dr. Rajiv Shah, USAID Administrator at Indian Agricultural Research Institute

New Delhi | December 20, 2011

Dr. Rajiv Shah
USAID Administrator
Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Press Gaggle

Press: -- verge of implementing a landmark food security legislation. Now how do you think your agency, the USAID, can help us achieve those objectives that the food security in this nation has?

Dr. Shah: I think there are a couple of areas. The first is, and most important perhaps, is in the area of policy where if India makes certain tough but important decisions around reforming its agricultural sector it can achieve more success.

Second is in agricultural research which is what we’re here to talk about today and what we just discussed because there’s a great potential there.

The third is really in ensuring there’s more private investment in the agriculture sector. I think if the legislation, or if any policy reforms achieve those objectives that will be a great step forward.

Press: When you talk about important decisions, do you think India’s policy paralysis over say for example, we couldn’t pull off the FDI Multi-Brand Retail. Are you hinting at those kind of important decisions that will integrate agriculture resource and markets and --

Dr. Shah: I think Dr. Swaminathan can probably speak in more detail to specific pieces of policy, but yes. At the end of the day the policies that help children get access to more diversified diets, policies that help address the high levels of post-harvest losses in the system, and policies that allow for improved agricultural productivity and a change in climate are the types of things that need to be enacted.

Press: What are the next three big areas you think USAID and India can collaborate on?

Dr. Shah: I think the big one is going to be the area of innovation. That we really are transitioning rapidly to supporting innovations and innovators in India, in the public sector and the private sector. Private entrepreneurs. That have solutions and businesses and social enterprises that can help address development challenges and generate development results, both here in India and elsewhere around the world. That was really President Obama’s aspiration for our work here, to help India as it emerges on the global stage and we intend to do that.

Press: Could you talk about the specifics of this --

Press: One last question. On this innovation, you just said --

Dr. Shah: Yeah. This morning I announced, and our team can provide more information, a partnership with FICCI [the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry] and with a number of other partners together with the National Innovation Council to create an effort we’re calling the Millennium Alliance to support Indian innovators and entrepreneurs who are doing just what we’ve talked about.

Press: What are your future plans in India regarding agriculture and food security?

Dr. Shah: Last year President Obama and Prime Minister Singh launched a partnership for an Evergreen Revolution to support Indian innovation in agriculture as well as Indian science and technology in agriculture. We’ll continue to support that effort for many many years into the future and that’s why we’re here today at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute.

Also our mission over time will increasingly focus on supporting entrepreneurship and innovators, technologists in India that are creating solutions that can be applied here and elsewhere around the world.

Thank you.