14 December 2023, New Delhi: The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) signed a Statement of Intent (SoI), aiming to fortify policy and program frameworks contributing to India’s developmental objectives.
The five-year SoI grants IFPRI a broad mandate to support NITI’s Agriculture Vertical in crucial areas. The SoI activities include developing and tracking Rural Transformation Indicators, supporting the design and evaluation of flagship programs, providing policy analytical tools, and generating evidence on India’s agri-food trade in regional and global contexts. To ensure sustainable and inclusive agricultural and rural transformation, NITI Aayog has been actively guiding India’s development programs through periodic monitoring and evaluation with a specific focus on agriculture.
IFPRI will provide policy analytics and support to NITI in mutually identified areas within the broader realm of food systems transformation, initially focusing on agriculture, rural development, trade, and climate change policies in India. Dr. Johan Swinnen, IFPRI Director General and Managing Director, Systems Transformation, CGIAR, after the signing of the Intent said, “Through this SoI, we plan to engage on a wider range of issues related to ‘Systems Transformation’, building a multi-disciplinary approach towards ensuring a sustainable food system for the country.” He also added that the SoI will serve as “a platform to share a vast array of knowledge and experiences from IFPRI and CGIAR’s global partnerships with various think tanks, research institutes and centers of excellence.”
The Chief Guest, Mr. Suman Bery, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, on the occasion said, “In India’s development trajectory, agriculture will play a central role. Increasing productivity of agriculture, coupled with a shift towards natural and soil-friendly practices, is crucial. Strong rural demand support manufacturing and economic revival and is critical for India’s transformation over the next 25 years. IFPRI’s hallmark is addressing important issues with methodological rigor. Tackling challenges in agriculture, climate change, and trade is a shared responsibility for meaningful cooperation.”
Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog, while attending the event stated, “I feel this SOI will lead to collaborative work between NITI Aayog and IFPRI that can generate new insights into the role of agriculture in shaping economic development in India and other emerging economies.”
