BRICS for partnership in strengthening agro-biodiversity to ensure food security

NEW DELHI: BRICS nations have pitched for closer ties in strengthening agro-biodiversity to ensure food and nutrition security, the government said on Saturday.

The issue was discussed in the working group of agriculture represented by top agriculture officials from Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) virtually on August 12-13.

The group stressed on having closer ties in strengthening cooperation and research in the field of agriculture, an official statement said.

In the meeting, the group shared that the United Nation has noted BRICS countries are well positioned to take a leading role in helping to achieve the objectives of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals to eradicate hunger and poverty.

The strong agricultural research base in BRICS countries and the need to harness and share knowledge, facilitate transfer of technologies from lab to land to provide improved solutions for enhanced productivity, especially in the face of climate change, maintaining agro biodiversity and ensuring sustainable use of natural resources was acknowledged, it added.

According to the statement, India has developed the BRICS Agriculture Research Platform to promote cooperation in the areas of agricultural research, extension, technology transfer, training and capacity building.

This was done with an intention to encourage research cooperation for improving the use and application of agricultural technologies so that the needs of producers and processors are met, it said.

A joint declaration of the eleventh meeting of BRICS and action plan for 2021-24 for agricultural cooperation of BRICS countries and BRICS Agriculture Research Platform were also discussed in depth.

The BRICS Working Group meeting will endorse the Action Plan of 2021-24 for adoption in the BRICS meeting, the statement added.