At the 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ meeting, India strongly reaffirmed its dedication to making agriculture more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan stressed that for India, agriculture goes far beyond economic activity, it's a lifeline, a source of food and dignity for millions. He placed small and marginal farmers at the heart of global agricultural policies, emphasizing that true food security and rural development cannot be achieved without empowering these farmers.
Minister Chouhan highlighted that the world’s 510 million smallholder farmers are the backbone of global food systems, yet they remain the most vulnerable to climate change, price swings, and resource shortages. He urged collective global efforts to support them, proposing cluster-based farming, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), cooperatives, and natural farming as powerful tools to improve their resilience and market reach.
The meeting also focused on making agricultural trade fair and ensuring stable, remunerative prices for small farmers. Chouhan underscored the importance of public food stockholding, minimum support prices (MSP), and robust value chains that directly link farmers with consumers. He pointed to India’s COVID-19 response, where free food rations reached over 800 million people, as a success story of efficient food storage and distribution systems.
India also showcased its technological advancements in agriculture, including the Digital Agriculture Mission, AgriStack, drone tech, and Climate-Resilient Villages. These innovations have boosted transparency, service delivery, and farmer incomes. Chouhan also mentioned women-led initiatives like Lakhpati Didi and Drone Didi, which reflect India's broader mission to empower rural women socially and economically.
He called for deeper BRICS collaboration to tackle climate change, sharing India's efforts like the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, climate-resilient farming initiatives, bio-fertilizers, and traditional agricultural knowledge. A key outcome of the meeting was the launch of the “BRICS Land Restoration Partnership,” aimed at reversing land degradation and soil fertility loss. Chouhan welcomed the move, noting its potential to benefit small farmers, tribal groups, and local cultivators through a fusion of science and tradition.
In a joint declaration, BRICS nations pledged to build a fair, innovative, and sustainable global agri-food system. Their shared vision includes food security, climate resilience, youth and women empowerment, digital agriculture, and the promotion of sustainable practices across fisheries, livestock, and land restoration. The announcement of the Land Restoration Partnership marked a united front against environmental degradation.
Wrapping up his address, Chouhan invited BRICS countries to participate in World Food India 2025 and the World Audio-Visual Entertainment Summit 2025, presenting them as opportunities for global collaboration and innovation. He concluded with a heartfelt Vedic blessing: “May all be happy, may all be healthy, may there be welfare and well-being for all”, a reflection of India’s deep-rooted values and its growing leadership on the global stage.
