WFP Assistant Executive Director visit strengthens WFP - India partnership

The visit included signing an agreement between the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and WFP on a regional adaptation project to build the capacity of smallholder farmers, especially women, in dryland areas.

“WFP is proud to have such strong, productive relationships in India”, said Guarnieri. “By working closely with national and state governments and leveraging innovation, we are helping to strengthen one of the world’s largest food safety nets, impacting hundreds of millions of people and generating savings expected to reach $40 million annually. We look forward to growing these exciting partnerships in the years ahead.”

WFP’s work in India also includes a national-level food fortification programme, and harnessing research and technology to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of supply chains for the targeted public distribution system.

In New Delhi, Guarnieri met Sanjeev Chopra, Secretary of the Department of Food and Public Distribution, Devesh Chaturvedi, Secretary of Agriculture, and Sanjay Kumar, Secretary of the Ministry of Education, to discuss ongoing projects on enhancing access to the public distribution system and school meals programmes.

In Odisha, she visited a newly launched ‘Grain ATM’ grain dispensing machine: a simple but innovative way of distributing grain at any time of day so that people can choose how and when they collect government food entitlements.

"This innovative, award-winning collaboration between government and WFP is making a huge difference to vulnerable people’s lives”, said Guarnieri. “The solution has been successful, with deployments at 29 locations in six states. More states have asked WFP to roll out Grain ATMs in their area.”

In Odisha, she met the newly elected Chief Minister, Mohan Charan Majhi; the Deputy Chief Minister, Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Anu Garg; Development Commissioner, Vir Vikram Yadav; Principal Secretary, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department, Arabinda Kumar Padhee; Principal Secretary, Agriculture, and Manoj Ahuja, Chief Secretary.
These meetings provided an opportunity to renew existing partnerships across various WFP projects in Odisha and discuss the next steps, including WFP's support for the statewide scale-up of the Grain ATM.

The Assistant Executive Director visited the Public Systems Lab in New Delhi, which WFP and the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi established to develop public service solutions for governments and other stakeholders. She also visited a government school and child and mother care centre.

The Government of India has been a longstanding partner of WFP and has been present in the country for over five decades.

Notes to the Editor

• The ADAPT4R, a five-year project funded by the Adaptation Fund, aims to improve access to accurate and timely climate services tailored to specific agricultural and hydrological needs. The project also seeks to assist vulnerable farming households in coping with climate risks by promoting better agricultural practices and helping them diversify their livelihoods to become more resilient to climate change. 
• The Grain ATM, or Annapurti, is an innovative automated machine designed to dispense grains efficiently and accurately to those registered under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). WFP developed the solution in India in partnership with the Department of Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, and it is being deployed across different states.
• WFP has been working to improve India’s Public Distribution System (PDS). Some of the critical initiatives include:
• Supply Chain Optimization: This includes implementing better logistics and storage practices to minimize losses and ensure timely delivery of food grains.
• Digital Integration: This includes implementing a central dashboard for monitoring and managing PDS operations, which enhances transparency and accountability.
• One Nation, One Ration Card Scheme: WFP supports government campaigns for awareness of the inter- and intra-state portability of ration cards. This allows beneficiaries to access their entitlements from any PDS shop nationwide, making the system more flexible and accessible.
• Capacity Building: This includes training and technical support to improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the PDS.

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

Follow us on X, formerly Twitter, via @wfp_media @UNWFP_India