The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) has today officially commenced its golden jubilee marking 50 years of scientific innovation and impact since its establishment on the 28th March 1972.
The 50th-anniversary celebrations build upon the inauguration of the occasion by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar among other dignitaries, who visited the Institute's global headquarters in early February.
The official celebration was marked by a distinguished gathering of global agricultural institutions and financing leaders to members of the diplomatic corps, ICRISAT's Governing Board, the Director General Dr Jacqueline Hughes and staff from across India and Africa.
The 50th milestone was framed by the challenges and opportunities facing the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, with a series of roundtable discussions on 'Partnerships and Funding for Sustainable Agriculture in the Drylands'. To see a video highlighting ICRISAT's 50 years of scientific innovation and impact in the drylands, view here:
ICRISAT Director General Dr Jacqueline Hughes said that while the Institute's 50th anniversary was an opportunity to reflect on the organisation's illustrious history, it was also a defining moment to coalesce new and innovative approaches to funding scientific innovation to address the challenges facing dryland agri-food systems.
"While the word grapples with evolving climate change, environmental degradation and geo-political shifts there tragically remains one constant for dryland farming communities, and that is food insecurity and hunger," said Dr Hughes.
"With our deep expertise in dryland farming and recent advances in research, ICRISAT will continue to serve as global research and thought leader to reduce poverty, hunger, malnutrition, environmental degradation in the semi-arid tropics while making farming profitable.
"We will also augment our scientific advances by working to influence good public policy with a focus on gender and social inclusion as but some cross-cutting themes especially relevant to developing a more equitable and sustainable agricultural sector.
"Our strength, has been built upon the diversity of our public and private sector partnerships and our inspiration, remains the 2.1 billion people who call the drylands home.
"ICRISAT is well positioned to now build upon its past successes as an autonomous, independent organisation which will be further strengthened by a deepening of our South-South collaboration.
"Our 50th Anniversary celebrations will segue the Institute into the International Year of Millets in 2023 in which ICRISAT will be a key actor. As a specialty crop of the Institute, we look forward to collaborating with partners to enhance nutritional security in India and Africa" said Dr Hughes.
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( With inputs from ANI )
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