Agricola Medal

·         On April 10, 2008 PM Dr Singh became the first Indian Prime Minister to receive the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) highest distinction, the Agricola Medal for his contribution to agricultural and social development in the country.

·         The medal was instituted in 1976.

·         Previous recipients of the Agricola Medal include King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, French President Jacques Chirac, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Chinese President Jiang Zemin, Pope John Paul II, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, and German President Johannes Rau.