India’s Role in Sustaining Global Green Legacy

India’s Opportunity to Sustain Global Green Legacy

Why in the News?

With USAID’s closure, global institutions like CIMMYT and IRRI, instrumental in seeding India’s Green Revolution, are looking to India for support. This presents India a chance to repay its green debt and shape future agricultural innovations, particularly in the realm of international agricultural research.

India’s Role in Sustaining Global Green Legacy

India and the Green Revolution Legacy:

  • Institutions like CIMMYT and IRRI were central to the Green Revolution in India during the 1960s–80s, revolutionizing India wheat production and traditional rice varieties.
  • Pioneers like M.S. Swaminathan and Sanjaya Rajaram localized global innovations to Indian conditions, focusing on growing wheat and indigenous rice varieties suited to local climates.
  • Key wheat varieties like Kalyan Sona and Sonalika were derived from CIMMYT germplasm, significantly boosting Indian wheat yields.
  • Over 20 million hectares in 2024-25 are sown with CIMMYT-linked wheat varieties, showcasing the impact of international agricultural research on India’s wheat sector.
  • India now exports $5.94 billion worth of Basmati rice, largely from IARI-bred varieties like Pusa Basmati 1509, demonstrating the success of research in traditional rice varieties.

Why India Should Step Up Now

  • With USAID’s dismantling, CIMMYT (received $83 million from USAID) is seeking new funders like India to continue its vital research and development in wheat and maize.
  • In 2024, India contributed only $0.8 million to CIMMYT and $18.3 million to IRRI — far below potential, considering the benefits received from these institutions’ work on India wheat and rice crop management.
  • India benefits directly from these institutions via high-yielding, climate-resilient crops, including semi-dwarf rice and wheat varieties that have transformed Indian agriculture.
  • Scientists urge funding in basic, strategic research like gene editing, AI-based crop improvement, and nutrient efficiency. This research is crucial for addressing challenges such as stem rust disease in wheat and developing regenerative agriculture practices.
  • Strengthening ties can enhance India’s soft power and global agricultural leadership, while also promoting crop diversification and sustainable farming practices that contribute to carbon sequestration.

Key Institutions in Global Agriculture:
● CIMMYT (Mexico-based): International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center. Crucial for wheat innovations and India’s Green Revolution, focusing on growing wheat resilient to challenges like stem rust disease.
● IRRI (Philippines-based): International Rice Research Institute, focused on high-yielding rice varieties and rice crop management techniques.
● USAID: U.S. Agency for International Development, major funder of CIMMYT till 2024.
● IARI (India): Indian Agricultural Research Institute developed landmark varieties like HD 2967, boosting yields to 7+ tonnes/ha and contributing to the success of Indian wheat.
● Both CIMMYT and IRRI were Cold War-era soft power tools, now vital for climate-resilient food security and promoting sustainable practices like regenerative agriculture.