ICRISAT Full Form: History, Features, Goal, Future Plan, Function etc

ICRISAT Full Form: The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is a global organisation that conducts agricultural research for rural development. Other regional centres and research stations include those in Niamey (Niger), Kano (Nigeria), Lilongwe (Malawi), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Bulawayo, and Bamako (Mali) (Zimbabwe). A group of organisations led by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations formed it in 1972. The FAO and UNDP both signed the organization’s charter.

Since its foundation, the host nation of India has awarded ICRISAT unique status as a UN organization operating on Indian soil, making it eligible for exclusive tax exemptions and immunities. A full-time Director General oversees ICRISAT while working under the general direction of a global Governing Board. Dr Jacqueline d’Arrée Hughes assumed the position of Director General in April 2020. Prof. Prabhu Pingali is the board’s current chair.

ICRISAT Overview

ICRISAT	International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
Headquarters	Patancheru, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Formation	1972
Parent organization	CGIAR
Type	Intergovernmental Organization
Website	www.icrisat.org

About ICRISAT

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is a nonprofit, apolitical organisation that collaborates with numerous international partners to do agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The semi-arid or dryland tropics span 6.5 million square kilometres of land in 55 nations and are home to nearly 2 billion people, 644 million of whom are the poorest of the poor. Through improved agriculture, ICRISAT and its collaborators give these underprivileged people the tools to beat hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation.

ICRISAT description — ***Source: www.icrisat.org***

With six country offices in sub-Saharan Africa and two regional hubs, ICRISAT is headquartered in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It participates in the CGIAR Consortium. CGIAR is a multinational partnership for agriculture research dedicated to ensuring future food security. The CGIAR Consortium’s 15 research centres work with hundreds of partner organisations to conduct its scientific research.

ICRISAT researches environmental protection. Agriculture in arid regions has long been associated with negativity and despondency. Tropical dryland regions are typically thought of as lacking resources and always subject to shocks like drought, keeping dryland inhabitants in poverty and hunger and making them reliant on outside aid.

Features

A thriving, food-secure and resilient dryland tropics is what ICRISAT envisions.
It aims to reduce the dryland tropics’ poverty, hunger, malnutrition and environmental degradation.
ICRISAT researches five highly nutritious drought-tolerant crops
It is a non-profit, non-political organization that conducts agricultural research for development in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

ICRISAT Six Development Outcomes

ICRISAT has identified six developmental outcomes as being necessary for the impoverished to advance along the IMOD path.

Food sufficiency
Intensification
Diversification
Resilience
Health & nutrition
Women empowerment

This approach has the potential to significantly improve food security and reduce poverty in the dryland tropical regions.

To achieve its aspirational goals of halving the prevalence of poverty in smallholder farming households, reducing hunger and childhood malnutrition, and considerably boosting the resilience of tropical dryland smallholder farming, ICRISAT feels that this is the best course of action.

Crops Under ICRISAT

ICRISAT focuses on the research and development of various crops suitable for semi-arid regions. Some of the key crops studied include:

Groundnut (Peanut)
Millets (e.g., Finger Millet)
Pigeon Pea
Sorghum
Chickpea

ICRISAT Main Focus

Renewed emphasis on gender equality, youth empowerment, South-South collaboration, Nutrition and Climate Resilience.

Building on Proven Expertise
Overcoming Global Challenges
Nurturing Public-Private Partnerships
A Plan for a Productive Future

Overcoming Global Challenges

Working with partners to deliver on key sustainable development goals (SDGs and our mission)

SDG 1	No Poverty – Prosperous
SDG 2	Zero Hunger – Food Secure
SDG 13	Climate Action – Resilient
SDG 17	Partnership of the goal – Scalable
SDG 5	Gender Equality – Inclusive

ICRISAT Future Partnerships

The current Partnership model will remain while widening the network and adding new avenues. In the next five years, they have planned for increase.

Stronger association with countries having dryland ecologies
South-south collaborations
Corporate Social Responsibility activities
Private Sector partnerships
Engagement with the United Nations organisations, global thought leaders and influencers

Conclusion

ICRISAT, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, is a bright spot in the battle against poverty, hunger, and environmental damage in dryland areas. ICRISAT works hard on research and development to make farming better, make sure there is enough food for everyone, and give weak communities in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa more power. Focusing on achieving sustainable development goals, promoting gender equality, and building relationships, ICRISAT dreams of a world where the dryland tropics thrive, providing everyone with wealth, strength, and chances. ICRISAT is still dedicated to making the future more safe and useful for future generations. It does this by building on its existing knowledge and working with more people.