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) on June 3, 2025, during the Conference on Global South and Triangular Cooperation: Emerging Facets, held in New Delhi.
This initiative aims to accelerate agricultural innovation and enhance collaboration among countries of the Global South, many of which face common challenges related to agriculture, climate, and socio-economic development.
As part of the launch, ICRISAT signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DAKSHIN (Development and Knowledge Sharing Initiative), a Government of India initiative focused on strengthening South-South cooperation through capacity building and development partnerships.
The ISSCA has been established as a dedicated platform to scale proven agricultural solutions, promote knowledge exchange, and build partnerships among countries with shared development goals. It includes a dynamic digital portal that serves as a living repository of validated innovations, enabling peer-to-peer learning, partnership facilitation, and deployment of low-cost, high-impact technologies and policy models, especially for dryland and developing regions.
Dr. Mangi Lal Jat, Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), emphasized that ICAR’s proactive partnership with ISSCA reflects its commitment to advancing agricultural collaboration and knowledge exchange across the Global South.
Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT, stated that while the Global South possesses a wealth of local innovations and expertise, there is a need for coordinated investment, action, and partnerships to unlock their full potential. He affirmed ICRISAT’s commitment to supporting countries in leading their own agricultural transformation through science, strong partnerships, and a vision of inclusive growth and prosperity.
Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General of RIS, highlighted DAKSHIN’s role in helping stakeholders identify and share scalable, sustainable agricultural solutions. He further noted that the collaboration between ICRISAT and DAKSHIN would act as a catalyst for strengthening systems related to sustainable agricultural production, processing, and the adoption of digital technologies for climate-smart farming across the Global South.
