India to host ICAR-CGIAR Science and Partnership Week in April

India to host 'ICAR-CGIAR Science and Partnership Week' in April next year

New Delhi, Oct 31

The event will be organised by CGIAR and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The week will bring researchers, farmers, governments, startups, and businesses from around the world to New Delhi.

Together, they will look at the innovations already reaching farmers and where more work is needed to reach many more, according to an official statement.

Dr. ML Jat, Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, noted that CGIAR, an international agricultural research partnership comprising 15 research centres working across more than 100 countries, has contributed significantly to global agricultural advancement.

Its collaboration with India, particularly through ICAR, has supported important developments in crop improvement, natural resource management, food security and agricultural productivity

Referring to India's agricultural transformation since the Green Revolution, Dr. Jat highlighted how collaboration with international research institutions, including CIMMYT, IRRI and ICRISAT, contributed to strengthening India's food production capabilities. From a food-deficit nation dependent on imports, India has emerged as a major food-producing and exporting country.

Dr Jat said that India's priority would be to promote South-South cooperation and share its successful agricultural innovations with the Global South, particularly African countries.

He highlighted India's progress in climate-resilient agriculture, digital agriculture and AgriStack, agricultural mechanisation, millets, natural farming and sustainable agricultural practices as areas offering considerable opportunities for international collaboration.

Dr. Ismahane Elouafi, Executive Managing Director, CGIAR, emphasised that the upcoming event would celebrate the achievements of this longstanding partnership while developing a forward-looking agenda for the next 50 years of agricultural cooperation.

She highlighted that India has shown what strong national science can achieve at scale. Seed and knowledge from India already help farmers in Africa and Asia.

"In April, we want to build on that exchange and consider together where science can do more," she added.

Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT, said that India's agricultural journey from a food-deficit nation to a major food-producing and exporting country reflects the transformative power of science, technology and international partnerships.

"Through CGIAR Science and Partnership Week 2027, we aim to showcase India's agricultural achievements, share our innovations with the world and learn from global advancements to co-create solutions for the emerging challenges of agriculture and food systems," said Pathak.

The first CGIAR Science Week took place in Nairobi, Kenya, in April 2025.

ICAR leads one of the world's largest national agricultural research systems, and its scientists have worked with CGIAR for more than 50 years. Ten CGIAR research centres now work in India on crops, water, livestock, fish, nutrition, and policy.

— IANS