A new Centre of Excellence has been launched to drive agricultural transformation across the Global South, strengthening collaboration and innovation among developing countries facing similar challenges. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in partnership with the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), unveiled the ICRISAT Centre of Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA) during a conference held in New Delhi on June 3, 2025.
The launch event took place during the Conference on Global South and Triangular Cooperation: Emerging Facets and also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ICRISAT and DAKSHIN—a Government of India initiative focused on promoting South-South cooperation through capacity building and development partnerships.
The establishment of ISSCA represents a significant milestone for agricultural development in the Global South. It aims to create a dedicated platform where countries facing similar agricultural, climate, and socio-economic challenges can exchange knowledge, share innovations, and build partnerships to enhance food security and rural livelihoods.
ISSCA will act as a catalyst to turn proven agricultural technologies and solutions into scalable impacts across developing countries, especially in dryland regions. The Centre features a digital portal that will serve as a dynamic repository of validated innovations. This portal will allow peer-to-peer learning, facilitate partnership building, and enable the deployment of low-cost, high-impact technologies and policy models tailored to the needs of semi-arid and other vulnerable agricultural regions.
Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Director General of ICRISAT, highlighted the vast potential of the Global South, which holds rich local expertise and a history of innovation. However, he emphasized the need for better coordination, investment, and partnerships to unlock this potential on a larger scale. He stated that ISSCA reflects ICRISAT’s commitment to empowering countries in the Global South to lead their own agricultural transformations, supported by science and strong collaborations, with a vision of inclusive growth and prosperity.
At the event, Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General of RIS, praised the role of DAKSHIN in helping stakeholders identify and share scalable and sustainable agricultural solutions. He expressed confidence that the collaboration between ICRISAT and DAKSHIN will strengthen systems for sustainable agricultural production and processing, while promoting the use of digital technologies for climate-smart agriculture.
Adding to the vision, 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), reaffirmed ICAR’s active partnership with ISSCA. He highlighted that this cooperation underscores India’s commitment to fostering knowledge exchange and collaborative agricultural development across the Global South.
Through these coordinated efforts, ISSCA aims to accelerate agricultural innovation, boost productivity, and improve resilience in regions that are often hit hardest by climate change and economic challenges. The platform will enable countries to share their experiences and resources, helping to build stronger, more sustainable agricultural systems that benefit millions of farmers and communities.
This launch marks an important step toward harnessing the collective strength of the Global South to tackle food security, climate risks, and rural poverty through science-driven and partnership-enabled solutions.
