Indore: The BRICS countries on Saturday issued the “Indore Declaration” at the end of a five-day meeting held here under India’s presidency, affirming their commitment to strengthen agricultural cooperation and announcing joint initiatives such as a forum to protect farmers’ rights in seed systems.
The member countries agreed on several new institutional mechanisms and India will be coordinating many of the initiatives, said Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Agriculture ministers and officials of the BRICS nations participated in the meeting.
According to the Indore Declaration, the member countries reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening food and nutrition security, improving the livelihoods of small and marginal farmers, increasing the participation of women and youth in agriculture, promoting climate-resilient and sustainable farming, and enhancing cooperation in agricultural trade and investment, Chouhan said.
The member countries also reiterated their commitment to a “fair, inclusive and transparent” multilateral trading system and discussed measures to facilitate agricultural trade, he told reporters.
Among other things, Chouhan said, the BRICS nations agreed to establish a ‘Global Forum on Farmers’ Rights in Seed Systems’ to promote farmers’ rights and preserve traditional knowledge associated with seed systems.
“India will coordinate this initiative,” he said.
The forum would promote farmers’ seed rights, conservation of indigenous seed diversity and preservation of traditional agricultural knowledge, the minister said.
The member countries also agreed to create the BRICS AGRIN Network to facilitate cooperation in agricultural inputs, genetic resources and information-sharing, he said.
India would serve as the coordinating country for this network as well, Chouhan added.
The network will facilitate the exchange of agricultural resources, technical information and best practices.
The grouping further decided to continue discussions on operationalising the proposed “BRICS Grain Exchange,” an initiative aimed at strengthening foodgrain trade and supply chains among member countries, Chouhan said.
The initiative could help strengthen foodgrain trade, market linkages and supply chains among member countries, he added.
In view of the challenges posed by climate change, the BRICS nations agreed to establish a ‘BRICS Centres of Excellence Network’ in agroecology and regenerative agriculture, he said.
The initial coordination for this will be the responsibility of the Indian Institute of Farming Systems Research, Modipuram, under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Chouhan said.
The member countries also endorsed the creation of a Digital Agriculture Network to promote the use of artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), geospatial technologies and other digital solutions in agriculture, the minister said.
The network’s initial coordination will be handled by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi.
Chouhan said the member countries also agreed to further strengthen the BRICS Agricultural Research Platform and develop it into a “Knowledge to Action Hub” so that the outcomes of research can reach farmers more quickly.
The initiatives were aimed at empowering small and marginal farmers, strengthening food security and making agriculture more sustainable and resilient, according to Chouhan.
Around 100 delegates, including nearly 60 foreign representatives from member and partner countries, participated in the meetings held over five days.
Chouhan said the decisions taken during the meeting reflected the shared commitment of BRICS nations to enhance cooperation in agriculture and address common challenges through innovation, technology and knowledge-sharing.
BRICS countries represent nearly half of the world’s population, account for about 42 per cent of global agricultural land and contribute roughly 42 per cent of global foodgrain production, he noted.
Increased cooperation among these countries in the agriculture sector could play an important role in strengthening global food security, Chouhan added.
BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. In addition to these five countries, the bloc now has six more members — Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia.
