India on World Food Day 1981
A commemorative postage stamp on the World Food Day (WFD) : 16 October, founding date of Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of United Nations in 1945 :
Issued by India
Issued on Oct 16, 1981
Issued for : The Indian Posts and Telegraphs Department is privileged to issue a special postage stamp on the occasion of the World Food Day.
Description of Designs : The stamp designed by M.K. Bardhan shows World Food Day Logo with stalks of wheat. First day cover and cancellation were designed by Charanjit Lal.
Type : Stamp, Postal Used
Colour : Multicolour
Denomination : 100 Paise
Overall size : 4.06 X 2.75 cms.
Printing size : 3.70 X 2.40 cms.
Perforation : 14½ x 14
Paper : Unwatermarked P.G. matt coated paper
Number printed : 20,00,000
Number per issue sheet : 40
Printing process : Photogravure
Printed at : India Security Press
About :
- Food is the primary requisite for human survival and well being and a fundamental human right. World Food Day was being observed on 16 October 1981 to heighten public awareness of the nature and dimensions of the world food problem and to strengthen national and international solidarity in the struggle against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. It is estimated that at least one out of nine persons still suffers from severe malnourishment. While the world population is growing at the rate of 2% per year, in many countries the per capita supplies of food are decreasing. Global food stocks are also low. The World Food Conference in 1974 had declared that by 1984 “no child, woman or man would go to bed hungry and no human being’s physical or mental potential should be stunted by malnutrition“. However, the problem of providing a balanced and adequate diet for the World’s population is now greater than ever. The World Food Day seeks to focus greater attention to agricultural production in all countries and to the transfer of relevant technology to developing countries. It also aims at promoting participation by rural masses in decisions and measures affecting their development.
- World Food Day provides an opportunity to take stock of the extent of world hunger, to learn more about why it continues to exist and to explore ways to overcome it. It is also a time to pay tribute to people who work the land to produce food. To achieve the many objectives of the World Food Day a comprehensive set of activities has been drawn up by the Food & Agriculture Organisation. India, being one of the active members of the FAO, has been participating very enthusiastically in these. In fact, ever since Independence, the struggle against hunger was the chief business of the Government of India. Beginning with the First Five Year Plan, every effort has been made to provide food for the millions. The Green Revolution launched more than a decade ago was a concerted effort to boost food production by introducing new strains of high yielding seeds and promoting greater use of improved agricultural practices. This has significantly increased food production and led the way towards self-sufficiency in food. Similarly the Operation Flood launched in 1970 paved the way for an organised dairy industry in India to increase the production and supply of milk and milk products at reasonable costs. The food situation in India has substantially improved as a result of these and other initiatives. A network of storage and distribution of food on a national level has further consolidated the gains.
- The above text is based on material furnished by the Ministry of Agriculture.
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