Richard Verma, United States Ambassador to India, on Monday expressed his strong belief that by investing in agriculture, working together, and harnessing the unique strengths, the United States and India would be able to address many of the challenges that both the countries and the world faced.

“The challenges we face in ensuring the world produces enough safe, affordable, and widely available food in the 21st century demand our attention,” Mr. Verma said, addressing the students of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) here.

Quoting the UN, he said by 2050, the world’s population would reach 9.1 billion and in order to feed this larger, more urban, and more prosperous population, food production must increase by 70 per cent, which would require a significant investment in agricultural research.

“We will need innovative, new technologies to improve yields, enhance productivity, and strengthen supply chains and storage systems. We will also need to encourage the sustainable use of our land and water resources. And, of course, we must address the challenges posed by climate change,” the Ambassador said.

As two of the world’s largest agricultural producers, the US and India should not only collaborate on the research front, but needed to work together to ensure global trade continued to bring food security and prosperity to the rest of the world, the diplomat said.

Tackling challenges like how can countries better integrate themselves into the global agricultural market and its network of producers, processors, and traders to improve global food security was not unprecedented, he said.

“We have a rich history of furthering human progress together, as Dr. M.S. Swaminathan, who is credited with breakthroughs in high yield rice and wheat that led to India’s Green Revolution and helped change the course of human history.”