ICRISAT and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) announced a new partnership that synergizes their strengths. ICRISAT’s improved crop varieties and value chain development technology will be leveraged alongside AGRA’s extensive seed systems networks to bridge gaps in market access to early maturing, high yielding and nutritious varieties of drought tolerant crops in Africa.

Speaking at the AGRA-ICRISAT partnership meeting, Dr George Bigirwa, Deputy Vice President for Program Development and Innovations, AGRA, noted that the partnership will focus on four areas:

1. Climate change: ICRISAT works on Drought Tolerant Crops (DTCs) like sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, and pigeonpea which are important crops to address climate change;
2. Diversification: AGRA is considering incorporating DTCs in their value chains;
3. Nutrition: This is a big challenge in most countries given ongoing civil wars, conflicts and the global economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation calls for incorporation of hardy DTCs.
4. Gender inclusivity: Some of ICRISAT’s mandate crops play an important role in achieving gender inclusivity especially for women who consider DTCs as their main source of income and nutrition. ​ ​ ​

See https://pressroom.icrisat.org/icrisat-agra-collaborate-on-drought-tolerant-crops-value-chain-development