The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched the ICRISAT Centre of Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA) to foster agricultural innovation and collaboration across the Global South. The initiative, launched in collaboration with the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), includes a digital portal to share validated innovations and facilitate partnerships. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between ICRISAT and DAKSHIN Development and Knowledge Sharing Initiative to enhance South-South cooperation through capacity building and development partnerships. The ISSCA aims to translate agricultural solutions into scalable impact, focusing on knowledge exchange, innovation scaling, and partnerships among countries facing similar challenges.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Agriculture Farmers Welfare: A government ministry, likely in India, responsible for agriculture and farmers' welfare.
ICRISAT: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, an organization focused on agricultural research.
DAKSHIN: DAKSHIN Development and Knowledge Sharing Initiative, a Government of India initiative focused on strengthening SouthSouth cooperation through capacity building and development partnerships.
SouthSouth Cooperation: A framework for collaboration among developing countries.
PIB Delhi: Press Information Bureau, Delhi, the source of the posted notification.
Research and Information System for Developing Countries: An organization, abbreviated RIS, collaborating with ICRISAT.
ICRISAT Centre of Excellence for SouthSouth Cooperation in Agriculture: A new center launched by ICRISAT and RIS, abbreviated ISSCA, to promote agricultural collaboration.
Global South: A term referring to developing countries.
Memorandum of Understanding: A formal agreement between ICRISAT and DAKSHIN.
Global South and Triangular Cooperation: Emerging Facets: The name of the conference where the ISSCA was launched.
Dr Himanshu Pathak: Director General of ICRISAT.
Professor Sachin Chaturvedi: Director General of RIS.
Department of Agricultural Research and Education: A department, abbreviated DARE.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research: An agricultural research organization, abbreviated ICAR.
Dr Mangi Lal Jat: Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education DARE and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research ICAR.
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
New Centre of Excellence Launched to Drive
Agricultural Transformation through South-South
Cooperation
ICRISAT and DAKSHIN Sign MoU to Strengthen
South-South Cooperation
Posted On: 03 JUN 2025 6:07PM by PIB Delhi
The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in collaboration with the
Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), launched the ICRISAT Centre of
Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA) today during the Conference on Global
South and Triangular Cooperation: Emerging Facets, held in New Delhi. The initiative aims to accelerate
agricultural innovation and collaboration across the Global South.
The launch also featured the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ICRISAT
and DAKSHIN (Development and Knowledge Sharing Initiative) - a Government of India initiative focused
on strengthening South-South cooperation through capacity building and development partnerships.The establishment of ISSCA marks a landmark moment for global agricultural development, establishing a
dedicated platform to exchange knowledge, scale innovations, and forge partnerships among countries facing
similar agricultural, climatic, and socio-economic challenges.
The ISSCA will serve as a catalyst for translating proven agricultural solutions into scalable impact. It
features a digital portal that functions as a living repository of validated innovations, enabling peer-to-peer
learning, partnership brokering, and the deployment of low-cost, high-impact technologies and policy models
tailored to dryland and developing regions.
Speaking at the launch, Director General of ICRISAT, Dr Himanshu Pathak said the Global South possesses a
rich foundation of innovation, local expertise, and proven solutions, but more coordinated action, investment,
and partnership are needed to unlock their full potential at scale.
Dr. Pathak further said that the establishment of ISSCA outlined ICRISAT’s commitment to supporting
countries of the Global South in leading their own agricultural transformation, powered by science, enabled
by strong partnerships, and aligned with a shared vision of inclusive growth and prosperity.
He also applauded DAKSHIN and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) in
advancing South-South and Triangular Cooperation.Director General of RIS, Professor Sachin Chaturvedi said DAKSHIN endeavours to assist relevant
stakeholders and partners in the identification and knowledge sharing of scalable and sustainable solutions
that can transform the economies and societies of countries of the Global South.
Professor Chaturvedi also noted that ICRISAT & DAKSHIN’s partnership shall be a catalyst for
strengthening systems for sustainable agricultural production, processing, and leveraging digital technologies
for sustainable climate-smart agriculture in the Global South.
Building on this vision, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director
General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR),
Dr Mangi Lal Jat, emphasized that the proactive partnership of ICAR with ISSCA reflects a strong
commitment to advancing collaboration and knowledge exchange in agriculture across the Global South.
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PSF/ AR/AK
(Release ID: 2133595)