The International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in collaboration with the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), has recently established a Centre of Excellence to advance agricultural transformation in developing nations through South-South cooperation.
Overview of ICRISAT
- Founded on March 28, 1972, through a Memorandum of Agreement between the Government of India and CGIAR, ICRISAT is a non-profit, non-political international research organization focused on agricultural development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
- Vision: ICRISAT aims to foster prosperity, food security, and resilience in the dryland tropics.
- It is committed to reducing poverty and enhancing the livelihoods of communities in arid regions.
- The institute supports farmers by developing improved crop varieties and hybrids, aiding smallholder farmers in combating climate change challenges.
- ICRISAT focuses its research on five nutrient-rich, drought-resistant crops: chickpea, pigeon pea, pearl millet, sorghum, and groundnut.
- In 2021, it received the Africa Food Prize for its Tropical Legumes Project, which bolstered food security in 13 sub-Saharan African countries.
- The organization is based in Hyderabad, Telangana, India, with regional hubs in Nairobi, Kenya, and Bamako, Mali.