Strengthening collaboration for the benefit of India’s farmers

With almost 18 percent of the world’s population but less than 1.5 percent of its farmland, India has prioritized increasing agricultural productivity, farmer income, and country-wide food security. The International Potato Center (CIP) has contributed to those objectives for nearly 50 years by collaborating with Indian institutions and farmers to harness the potential of root and tuber crops to produce more nutritious food on the same land and, often, with less water than other crops.

CIP has collaborated for decades with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) by sharing breeding material, building capacity, and improving seed systems. More recently, CIP has also promoted sustainable, climate-resilient agronomic practices. That collaboration is entering a new phase as CIP and ICAR leadership recently signed a five-year work plan.