www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
(ICRISAT) has strengthened its partnerships with the private sector through
its recent understanding with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to
work together on improved natural resource management for sustainable rural
development. This will strengthen ICRISAT's initiative for partnerships with
the private sector through its Agri Science Park, March 2006.

ICRISAT and CII had jointly organized a joint workshop on 27 February for
finding ways to collaborate on sustainable rural development. The Andhra
Pradesh Agriculture Minister, Mr N Raghuveera Reddy, participated in the
workshop and promised the state government's support for the partnership.

According to Dr William Dar, Director General of ICRISAT, the institute was
the first among the 15 international agricultural research centers under the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) to
initiate partnerships with the private sector. And this initiative has
yielded successful results benefiting the poor and marginal farmers of the
semi-arid tropics.

"We strongly believe that collaborative arrangements and strategic alliances
are the ways of winning organizations. Our collaborations are geared towards
helping mobilize cutting edge science and technology for the well-being of
the poor in the semi-arid tropics of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa," said Dr
Dar.

As an innovations- and impact-driven organization, ICRISAT is proactively
attuned to external changes. The institute's strategic partnerships with the
public and private sectors, NGOs, civil society and international bodies are
meant to develop novel approaches that aid the transition from traditional
production practices to sustainable systems that are more aligned with
current markets.

The Agri-Science Park at ICRISAT is the 'hub' for public-private
partnerships that enhance the development and commercialization of
science-generated technologies and knowledge through market mechanisms. It
consists of the Agri-Biotech Park (a part of the Genome Valley Initiative of
the Andhra Pradesh government); the Agri-Business Incubator with eight
private sector partners as incubates; a seeds consortium; and the SAT
Eco-Venture (the agricultural eco-tourism initiative being developed in
collaboration with the Andhra Pradesh Department of Tourism).

The recognition of the private sector as a valuable research for development
partner led to the formation of the Sorghum and Pearl millet Hybrid Parents
Research Consortia with 16 private seed companies becoming consortia members
for sorghum, 18 for pearl millet, and 11 being common for both the crops.
Products developed with consortia grants are available freely to the public
sector.

The Biopesticides Research Consortium (BRC) with 11 biopesticide
manufacturers as members, is meant to develop, promote and commercialize the
use of biopesticides by farmers. The partnership research will validate
protocols for low-cost, commercial-scale production of microbial
biopesticides developed at ICRISAT, and will promote agricultural practices
that enable low-cost crop protection. The private sector partners will
market the biopesticides.

ICRISAT is already partnering with private sector partners for natural
resources management (NRM) through watershed development. The institute has
been working with Sir Dorabjee Tata Trust to scale-up farmer's participatory
watershed development in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh and Boondi district
of Rajasthan. In a recently initiated project, ICRISAT is working on an NRM
project in Eruvadi village of Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu, in
collaboration with the TVS Agri-Sciences Research Institute.

Further, ICRISAT has also been collaborating with private sector companies
to achieve crop diversification and market linkages and employment
generation in the watersheds. This is by growing medicinal and aromatic
plants, developing commercial products and marketing them. Biodiesel
plantations are also being incorporated in ICRISAT-led watershed projects.

The collaboration with CII will greatly enhance ICRISAT's collaboration with
the private-sector. Initially ICRISAT will be involved with the NRM
component of CII's project in Dungarpur district of Rajasthan. The
CII-industry group on Dungarpur is taking up business initiatives, which
would lead to overall sustainable development of the district. CII also
hopes to start a similar project in Andhra Pradesh, an initiative in which
ICRISAT could participate.

[www.checkbiotech.org]

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