ICRISAT and RIS Launch Centre of Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture
The launch also featured the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding between ICRISAT and DAKSHIN—a Government of India initiative focused on strengthening South-South cooperation through capacity building and development partnerships.
Join the RuralVoice whatsapp group
In a major step toward reshaping agricultural collaboration across developing nations, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in partnership with the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), has launched the ICRISAT Centre of Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA).
Unveiled during the Conference on Global South and Triangular Cooperation in New Delhi, the Centre aims to foster knowledge exchange, scale agricultural innovations, and strengthen partnerships among countries facing common challenges in agriculture and climate.
The launch also saw the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding between ICRISAT and DAKSHIN, a Government of India initiative that supports development partnerships and capacity building in the Global South.
“This is a momentous step toward building structured, science-driven, and inclusive agricultural growth,” said Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT. “ISSCA represents our commitment to empowering countries of the Global South with the tools, knowledge, and collaboration they need to transform agriculture sustainably.”
ISSCA is built around a digital portal that acts as a dynamic repository of validated agricultural innovations. It facilitates peer learning, low-cost technology deployment, and sharing of policy models customized for dryland and resource-constrained regions.
Dr Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General of RIS, noted, “Through ISSCA, we aim to democratize agricultural knowledge and help turn practical experience into sustainable policy. The partnership between ICRISAT and DAKSHIN will be key in building systems for climate-smart agriculture, especially in developing economies.”
Supporting this initiative, Dr Mangi Lal Jat, Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of ICAR, highlighted the platform’s potential to scale science-backed solutions for food security. “ICAR’s collaboration with ISSCA is a testament to our collective commitment to sharing India’s agricultural expertise with the world,” he said.
The Centre will draw on ICRISAT’s five-decade history of scientific innovation across Asia and Africa, including milestones like the world’s first commercial pigeonpea hybrid and Africa’s first biofortified pearl millet.
Backed by a robust network of partners—including the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, ICAR, IRRI, ICARDA, and the Gates Foundation—ISSCA will continue to expand its reach by engaging governments, research bodies, development agencies, and private sector actors across the Global South.
