New Centre of Excellence to Drive Agri Transformation thru South-South Coop

ICRISAT Center of Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA) launched

New Delhi, 3 June 2025 — In a landmark move to accelerate agricultural innovation and collaboration across the Global South, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), in partnership with the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), officially launched the ICRISAT Center of Excellence for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (ISSCA) during the Conference on Global South and Triangular Cooperation: Emerging Facets, held in New Delhi.

The launch also featured the signing of a strategic Memorandum of Understanding between ICRISAT and DAKSHIN - a Government of India initiative focused on strengthening South-South cooperation through capacity building and development partnerships.

The inauguration of ISSCA marks a pivotal moment for global agricultural development, establishing a dedicated platform to exchange knowledge, scale innovations, and forge partnerships among countries facing similar agricultural, climatic, and socio-economic challenges.

ISSCA will serve as a catalyst for translating proven agricultural solutions into scalable impact. It features a digital portal that functions as a living repository of validated innovations, enabling peer-to-peer learning, partnership brokering, and the deployment of low-cost, high-impact technologies and policy models tailored to dryland and developing regions.

Speaking at the launch, Director General of ICRISAT Dr Himanshu Pathak said the Global South possesses a rich foundation of innovation, local expertise, and proven solutions, but more coordinated action, investment, and partnership are needed to unlock their full potential at scale.

“Unlocking this potential requires a more structured and strategic approach to scale these assets for broader impact.

“The establishment of ISSCA reflects ICRISAT’s commitment to supporting countries of the Global South in leading their own agricultural transformation, powered by science, enabled by strong partnerships, and aligned with a shared vision of inclusive growth and prosperity.”

Dr Pathak also recognized the significant role of Dakshin and the Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) in advancing South-South and Triangular Cooperation.

“I applaud RIS as a key institutional partner whose leadership has been instrumental in shaping platforms for global collaboration. 

“Our alliance with RIS reflects ICRISAT’s focus on strengthening platforms that promote inclusive, cross-border agricultural development led by and for the Global South, so no one is left behind,” said Dr Pathak.

Director General of RIS, Professor Sachin Chaturvedi echoed the sentiment.

“DAKSHIN endeavours to assist relevant stakeholders and partners in the identification and knowledge sharing of scalable and sustainable solutions that can transform the economies and societies of countries of the Global South.

“As a leading think tank for the Global South, RIS views ISSCA as a critical impactful platform to democratize agricultural knowledge and translate practical experience into policy.

ICRISAT & DAKSHIN’s partnership shall be catalyst for strengthening systems for sustainable agricultural production, processing, and leveraging digital technologies for sustainable climate-smart agriculture in the Global South,” said Professor Chaturvedi.

The new Center is backed by RIS’s policy leadership and deep expertise in South-South cooperation, together with ICRISAT’s five-decade legacy of delivering science-based agricultural innovations across Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. This legacy includes pioneering breakthroughs such as the world’s first commercial pigeonpea hybrid, Africa’s first biofortified pearl millet, and scalable climate-smart farming practices that are strengthening resilience and improving livelihoods for millions

ISSCA is anchored in strong partnerships with leading institutions committed to agricultural transformation, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (India), the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), and the Gates Foundation.

These founding partners bring complementary strengths and shared commitment to innovation, inclusion, and sustainability. As ISSCA grows, it will continue to expand its network to include new collaborators from governments, research institutes, development agencies, and the private sector across the Global South. – Media release