{"id":47841,"date":"2025-07-11T21:14:47","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T15:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=47841"},"modified":"2025-07-29T14:55:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T09:25:07","slug":"cimmyt-seeks-indias-support-to-sustain-global-agricultural-innovation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/11-07-2025\/cimmyt-seeks-indias-support-to-sustain-global-agricultural-innovation","title":{"rendered":"CIMMYT Seeks India&#8217;s Support to Sustain Global Agricultural Innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Agriculture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is currently facing a severe funding crisis and is turning to India for financial support to sustain its global agricultural research efforts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Background<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>USAID, which administered foreign aid on behalf of the U.S. government, contributed approximately <strong>$83 million<\/strong> to CIMMYT in 2024 \u2014 <strong>nearly 40%<\/strong> of its <strong>$211 million<\/strong> annual budget.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>With <strong>USAID ceasing operations<\/strong>, CIMMYT is now looking for increased financial contributions from nations like India that have historically benefited from its cutting-edge agricultural research.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About CIMMYT<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Founded: <\/strong>It was founded in <strong>1966<\/strong> and headquartered in <strong>Mexico.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Origin: <\/strong>It evolved from a Rockefeller Foundation project with Mexican government support in the 1940s-50s.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Key Contributions:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Led by <strong>Dr. Norman Borlaug,<\/strong> CIMMYT was central to the <strong>Green Revolution in Asia.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>It developed high-yielding, semi-dwarf wheat<\/strong> varieties such as Lerma Rojo 64A, Sonora 64, and Mayo 64.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It collaborated with Indian scientists to create Kalyan Sona (1967), Sonalika (1968), and later PBW 343 (1995).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Current Impact:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>CIMMYT-derived varieties are grown on over 60 million hectares globally.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In India, 50% of wheat cultivated is from varieties released post-2019 through CIMMYT\u2013ICAR collaboration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA);<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Established: <\/strong>2011 as a joint initiative of CIMMYT and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Locations: <\/strong>Research stations in Ludhiana (Punjab), Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh), and Samastipur (Bihar).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Focus Areas:<\/strong> Climate-resilient crops, heat tolerance, nitrogen-use efficiency, disease resistance, and sustainable farming.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Implications for Agricultural Research<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>USAID\u2019s Role: <\/strong>As the principal development aid arm of the U.S. government, USAID supported international agricultural innovation for decades.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Post-Closure Impact:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Loss of consistent donor support (USAID contributed nearly 40% of CIMMYT\u2019s budget).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Potential slowdown in global R&amp;D, especially in developing regions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CIMMYT warns that effects will be felt severely post-2026.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Why Should India Step Up?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Strategic Agricultural Interests:<\/strong> India cultivated wheat on <strong>32 million hectares<\/strong> in <strong>2024<\/strong>. Of the top 10 wheat varieties, <strong>6 are CIMMYT-derived<\/strong>, covering ~15.3 million hectares.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Food Security and Climate Challenges:<\/strong> Rising March temperatures in north India are causing wheat yield losses. Every 1\u00b0C rise in night temperatures reduces yield by 6%.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>CIMMYT&#8217;s research on heat-tolerant and high-yield wheat is crucial for Indian food security.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India\u2019s Global Image: <\/strong>By stepping up funding, India can promote itself as a leader in South-South cooperation and influence global R&amp;D priorities in food security.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It can also support capacity-building for Africa and other developing regions using Indian agricultural experience.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Human Resource Linkages:<\/strong> Many Indian scientists are currently working at CIMMYT offices across the world.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Indians constitute around 10% of CIMMYT\u2019s global workforce.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Ahead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>India should raise its funding substantially,<\/strong> to sustain existing research platforms, secure a say in governance and priority-setting, and support regional and global food security initiatives.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Promote Public-Private Partnerships (PPP):<\/strong> Seed companies, agri-tech firms, and CSR initatives of major Indian corporations can be tapped to co-finance agricultural R&amp;D.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regional Leadership in Agri-Innovation:<\/strong> India can lead a Global South Agricultural Innovation Forum with CIMMYT, targeting Africa and Asia by promoting technology transfers, joint breeding programs, and sustainable practices.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/usaid-norman-borlaug-institute-cimmyt-mexico-india-help-funding-maize-wheat-10119308\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) is currently facing a severe funding crisis and is turning to India for financial support to sustain its global agricultural research efforts.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Background<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">USAID, which administered foreign aid on behalf of the U.S. government, contributed approximately $83 million to CIMMYT in 2024 \u2014 nearly 40% of its $211 million annual budget.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">With USAID ceasing operations, CIMMYT is now looking for increased financial contributions from nations like India that have historically benefited from its cutting-edge agricultural research.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/11-07-2025\/cimmyt-seeks-indias-support-to-sustain-global-agricultural-innovation\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47841"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47841\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49526,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47841\/revisions\/49526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}