“This honour belongs to India’s Annadatas — the farmers, livestock rearers, fisheries workers, and agricultural scientists who feed the nation.” — PM Modi on receiving the FAO Agricola Medal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the Agricola Medal — the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)’s highest institutional honour — at a ceremony held in the Plenary Hall of FAO Headquarters in Rome on 20 May 2026. FAO Director-General Dr Qu Dongyu presented the award in recognition of PM Modi’s exceptional leadership in advancing food security, sustainable agriculture, and rural development in India and globally.
The ceremony was held on the final day of PM Modi’s five-nation tour (UAE, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Italy), and was attended by ambassadors and Permanent Representatives of FAO member countries, senior FAO leadership, and representatives of Rome-based UN agencies including IFAD and WFP.
🏅 What Is the FAO Agricola Medal?
The Agricola Medal takes its name from the Latin word agricola, meaning “farmer” — symbolising the centrality of agriculture in human civilisation. It is the premier institutional accolade of the FAO, conferred directly by the Director-General upon extraordinary national leaders who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and concrete action in support of FAO’s mandate: eradicating hunger, reducing poverty, and ensuring food security for all people.
Key features of the award:
- Established in 1977 as part of FAO’s international numismatic awards programme
- Not awarded on a fixed schedule — conferred at the Director-General’s discretion
- Linked to progress on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) of the UN 2030 Agenda
- The inscription on each medal is personalised by the recipient — reflecting their individual philosophy of food security
Think of the FAO Agricola Medal as the UN’s “Nobel Prize for Food Security” — given not on a fixed schedule, but whenever the FAO’s top official decides a world leader has done something extraordinary for farmers and food systems. It has gone to kings, presidents, prime ministers, and even Norman Borlaug — the man who sparked the Green Revolution.
| Recipient | Country/Role | Notable For |
|---|---|---|
| Pope John Paul II | Holy See | Advocacy for global food justice |
| King Bhumibol Adulyadej | Thailand | Sustainable agriculture initiatives |
| Norman Borlaug | USA (Scientist) | Father of the Green Revolution |
| Dr Manmohan Singh | India (PM) | NFSA, NREGA, RKVY — 2008 (New Delhi) |
| Joko Widodo | Indonesia (President) | Food security programmes — 2024 |
| Narendra Modi | India (PM) | PMGKAY, PM-KISAN, Millet Diplomacy — 2026 |
Don’t confuse the venue: Dr Manmohan Singh’s Agricola Medal (2008) was conferred in New Delhi (during the Global Agro-Industries Forum) — the only time the award was given outside Rome. PM Modi’s (2026) was conferred at FAO HQ, Rome. Both are Indian recipients; the venue difference is a common MCQ trap.
🌾 Why PM Modi Was Honoured: FAO’s Evaluation
FAO Director-General Dr Qu Dongyu’s evaluation of PM Modi’s candidature rested on a decade-long record of structural agrifood policy. He specifically cited:
- PMGKAY — world’s largest food security programme serving ~800 million citizens
- PM-KISAN — DBT-based income support to 110+ million farmer families; cited as a replicable model for developing nations
- International Year of Millets (IYM 2023) — India’s proposal at the 75th UNGA, backed by 70 countries
- Regenerative and natural farming practices promoted across India
- G20 2023 Presidency — India promoted Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) as a global public good for food and agriculture systems
The recognition is explicitly framed around SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) — one of 17 SDGs in the UN 2030 Agenda — which seeks to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture globally.
The FAO’s citation includes India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) — the India Stack — as a food security tool. PM-KISAN’s delivery via Aadhaar-linked DBT is being positioned as a global model for developing nations. This links technology governance, financial inclusion, and food security into a single policy narrative — relevant for UPSC GS-III and GDPI.
📌 India’s Agricultural Achievements Under Scrutiny
PMGKAY — World’s Largest Food Safety Net: The Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana provides free foodgrains to approximately 800 million citizens (nearly two-thirds of India’s population). Originally launched in 2020 during COVID-19, it was later institutionalised as a permanent entitlement. Total financial outlay: approximately ₹3.91 lakh crore; distributed over 1,200 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of foodgrains. Uses Aadhaar authentication and ePOS devices to minimise leakages.
PM-KISAN — Direct Income Support: Launched on 24 February 2019, providing ₹6,000/year in three equal instalments via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to landholding farmer families. Total disbursement: ₹3.70 lakh crore+ to 110 million+ families. Over 25% beneficiaries are women farmers.
Climate-Resilient Crop Varieties: ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) has developed approximately 3,000 climate-resilient and biofortified crop varieties over the past decade — engineered to withstand extreme heat, floods, and droughts, while addressing hidden hunger through enhanced nutritional content.
Agricultural Credit Growth: Agricultural credit disbursement rose by 349% — from ₹7.30 lakh crore (2013–14) to ₹25.48 lakh crore (2023–24). The Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) was launched with a corpus of ₹1 lakh crore for post-harvest management.
Precision Farming and Drones: Under “Per Drop More Crop” (PMKSY sub-scheme), micro-irrigation has been expanded across water-stressed regions. Nearly 27,099 drone demonstrations were conducted covering 30,000+ hectares, benefiting 3.5 lakh+ farmers. ₹141.39 crore released for drone subsidies.
🌍 India and FAO: Background and Historical Relationship
India is a founding member of the FAO, established on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Canada. World Food Day is observed on 16 October annually to commemorate FAO’s founding. The FAO is headquartered in Rome, Italy, and its current Director-General is Dr Qu Dongyu of China (in office since 2019).
PM Modi is only the third Indian Prime Minister to visit FAO Headquarters in Rome in the organisation’s more than eight decades of history — underscoring the significance of India–FAO engagement at the highest level.
The Manmohan Singh precedent is notable: in April 2008, then DG Jacques Diouf conferred the Agricola Medal on Dr Singh in New Delhi — the only time the award has been given outside FAO HQ in Rome. The citation cited the National Food Security Mission, NREGA, and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY).
Indian Agricola Medal Recipients — Only Two: Dr Manmohan Singh (2008, New Delhi) and Narendra Modi (2026, Rome). FAO founded 16 Oct 1945 = World Food Day. Current DG: Dr Qu Dongyu (China, since 2019). India is a founding FAO member.
🌱 India’s Millet Diplomacy and Global Reach
India’s proposal to the UN for declaring 2023 the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023) was one of the most consequential acts of agricultural diplomacy in recent years. India refers to millets as “Shree Anna” (honoured grains). The proposal was made at the 75th session of the UNGA in March 2021 and was backed by 70 countries; India served as Chair of the Year’s Steering Committee.
Millets (sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet) contribute to multiple SDGs:
- SDG 2 — Zero Hunger (nutritious, affordable food)
- SDG 3 — Good Health (micronutrient-rich)
- SDG 12 — Sustainable Consumption (low water, low input)
- SDG 13 — Climate Action (drought-resistant)
The IYM reached a global outreach of over 200 million people across more than 100 events in 35+ countries. The FAO DG directly cited the millet initiative in his Agricola Medal citation remarks.
India’s millet diplomacy is a rare example of a domestic agricultural agenda being successfully globalised. By anchoring “Shree Anna” within SDG 2 and climate resilience narratives, India positioned itself as a thought leader in sustainable food systems. For MBA/GDPI, consider: how a developing nation can use multilateral platforms (UNGA, FAO, G20) to project soft power through agriculture — a non-traditional domain of foreign policy.
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Agricola is the Latin word for “farmer” — reflecting the FAO medal’s honour for leaders who advance food security and agriculture. The medal was established in 1977.
Dr Manmohan Singh received the Agricola Medal in 2008 — notably in New Delhi, not Rome. Modi received it in Rome in 2026. Both are the only two Indian recipients.
India proposed the International Year of Millets 2023 at the 75th session of the UNGA in March 2021. The proposal was backed by 70 countries, and India chaired the Steering Committee.
PM-KISAN was launched on 24 February 2019. It provides ₹6,000 per year in three instalments to landholding farmer families via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).
The FAO was founded on 16 October 1945 in Quebec City, Canada. World Food Day is observed on 16 October every year to commemorate this founding date.
