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• For the first time, India hosted the Global Food Regulators Summit 2023 as part of the G20 summit.
• The summit aimed to establish a global platform for food regulators to exchange ideas on how to improve food safety systems and regulatory frameworks.
• The event was organised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and took place in New Delhi from July 20th to 21st, 2023.
• The summit was opened by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, who emphasised the significance of collaboration in ensuring safer food across the food value chain.
• The conference provided a chance for regulators to interact, discuss best practises, and address shared difficulties, thereby contributing to worldwide improvements in food safety standards.

India’s First Cannabis Medicine PPP with Canadian Enterprise at CSIR-IIIM Jammu

• The Council Of Scientific And Industrial Research-Indian Institute Of Integrative Medicine’s (CSIR-IIIM) “Cannabis Research Project” in Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) is the first of its kind Cannabis Medicine Project in India under Public Private Partnership (PPP) with an IndusCann Limited, headquartered in Toronto, Canada.
• This project is being carried out under a scientific agreement between CSIR-IIIM and the Canadian company IndusScan.
• The Minister visited the CSIR-IIIM Cannabis Cultivation Farm to learn firsthand about the cultivation practises for Cannabis in the institute’s protected area and the scientific work being done on this vital plant.
• It is the first institute in India to acquire a licence for cannabis cultivation.

Tamil Nadu’s Authoor Betel Leaves received GI Tag

• Authoor Betel Leaves, cultivated in the Authoor village of Thoothukudi district, Tamil Nadu, have been granted the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
• The GI tag certificate was issued by the Geographical Indications Registry to the Thoothukudi district administration in April 2023.
• The efforts to secure the GI tag were supported by the Tamil Nadu State Agriculture Marketing Board and the NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) Madurai Agribusiness Incubation Forum (MABIF).
• The GI tag has been registered in the name of “Authoor Vattara Vetrilai Vivasayigal Sangam.
• Spanning an extensive area of approximately 500 acres, the cultivation of these betel leaves covers various regions, including Mukkani, Authoor, Korkai, Suganthalai, Vellakoil, and other Mukkani villages.

National Mango Day – 22 July

• National Mango Day is observed yearly on July 22 to honour the nutritious tropical fruit, mango, and to recognise its cultural significance, popularity, and flexibility in culinary pleasures.
• The National Horticulture Board of India established the International Mango Festival in 1987 to honour the mango.

Kerala’s KUFOS to Establish India’s First Fisheries AIC with a Rs 10 Crore Grant

• The first Fisheries Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) in India will be established at KUFOS in Kerala, with a Rs 10 crore grant from NITI Aayog.
• Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) in Kochi, Kerala, is planning to establish India’s first Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) for fisheries.
• The goal of this project is to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and technological improvements in the fishery and allied areas.
• The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog has awarded KUFOS a considerable grant of Rs 10 crore to materialise the construction of the fisheries AIC at the University.
• This research will be spearheaded by KUFOS, with Radhika Rajasree SR, Professor and Head of the Department of Fish Processing Technology at KUFOS, giving supervision.

International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystems 2023 – July 26

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) International Day for the Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems, observed annually on July 26th, aims to raise awareness about the importance of these ecosystems as a “unique, special, and vulnerable” natural environment.
• The day is used to promote for sustainable management, conservation, and responsible use of mangrove ecosystems.The 26th of July 2023, dubbed “The World Mangrove Day,” is significant because it commemorates the 8th International Day for the Conservation of Mangrove Ecosystems.
• This event promotes global cooperation and action to protect these crucial ecosystems for future generations.

World Nature Conservation Day – 28 July

• Every year on July 28, World Nature Conservation Day is observed. This day’s goal is to raise awareness about the need of protecting our natural resources and to inspire individuals, organizations, and governments to take action to conserve our world.
• The theme for World Nature Conversation Day 2023 is ‘Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Planet’ this year.

Urea Gold Launched by GOI