Page 20 - CGIAR AR 2023 - Printable Med Res

Nepal Climate Smart Villages - A group of farmers involved in
participatory rice breeding trials in Nepal.
Photo: N. Palmer, CIAT:CCAFS

South Asia (SA)

CGIAR advanced critical partnerships by aligning with national priorities and convening experts to
share knowledge and build capacity.

For the first time since the One CGIAR transformation began, CGIAR Centers in India collaborated to
present a comprehensive menu of ready-to-scale technologies to the Department of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare (DAFW). Innovations such as climate smart varieties of pulses and millets were
adopted for broader scaling by DAFW across key geographies in India, demonstrating the rapid
transfer of international research to local fields.

In Bangladesh, the Minister of Agriculture and the Ministerial Secretary hosted CGIAR’s Advisory
Committee meeting. CGIAR briefed implementing agency heads on research portfolio progress and
discussed opportunities for improved alignment to national food and nutrition security goals,
Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC) Chairman Dr. SM Bokhtiar emphasized

technological innovation in tackling climate challenges and CGIAR’s role in Bangladeshi food
security. In Nepal, CGIAR and Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) implemented site-specific
fertilizer recommendations for maize, wheat, and rice, among other initiatives. Meanwhile, as Sri
Lanka finds stable economic footing, discussions between IWMI and the Prime Minister opened
new avenues for research support.

CGIAR and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) hosted the President of India, Smt.
Draupadi Murmu, at the CGIAR Gender Research Conference. She highlighted the necessity of
robust research to achieve sustainable and socially just agriculture production and emphasized

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