The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is a non-profit, apolitical, international organization geared towards science-based agricultural development. It is one of the Future Harvest Centers of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), with headquarters in Patancheru, Andhra Pradesh, India; and centers in Mali, Zimbabwe, and Nairobi. It was established in 1972.

With a mission to help apply science in developing countries to increase crop production and food security, reduce poverty, and protect the environment, ICRISAT's focus is on the developing semi-arid tropics (SATs) in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. These are places having erratic rainfall, low soil fertility, and extreme poverty, which all hinder their agricultural development. Their agenda is anchored on the theme “Science with a Human Face” research that will answer human needs regarding poverty, hunger, and environmental degradation.

Its vision and strategy are founded on the acronym WEHAB, which stands for Water, Energy, Health, Agriculture, and Biodiversity. Water is the primary concern on its agenda for SATs, and ICRISAT's research addresses this main concern on two fronts: using natural resource management and plant breeding and biotechnology.

ICRISAT also conserves the seeds of 113,000 crop lines that are diet staples in poor countries. Among these are sorghum, millet, groundnut, chickpea, and pigeonpea, which are bred for higher productivity and resistance to pests, diseases, and other stresses. It also formulates policies, infrastructural development, and most importantly, develops human potential.

Excelling in strategic research for development on global issues and on international exchanges of knowledge, technologies, and skills, ICRISAT works with government, nongovernment, and private sector organizations. Its partnerships are with development investors, collaborative research projects, research networks, and CGIAR system-wide programs. Some of the research networks include the Cereal and Legumes Asia Network, Latin America Commission of Sorghum Researchers (CLAIS) Network, and Drought Management Network. Meanwhile, the institute takes part in CGIAR's system-wide programs Desert Margins Program (DMP) and Rice-Wheat Consortium for the Indo-Gangetic Plains (RWC) Collaborative Projects. It has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with private companies such as Genome Valley, Sun Microsystems, Inc., and Nandan Biomatrix, Ltd.

ICRISAT places a particular emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa. In line with this, it is part of the New Partnerships for African Development (NEPAD), which aims to bring about sustainable development in Africa. It also belongs to networks such as the Sorghum and Millet Improvement Network (SMINET), West and Central Africa Sorghum Research Network (ROCARS), West and Central Africa Millet Research Network (ROCAFREMI), and others.

In its more than 30 years of establishment, ICRISAT has had many achievements, most notably being a two-time recipient of the King Baudouin Award. Given every two years, this is the highest of CGIAR's awards, which recognizes the most outstanding scientific work by the 16 CGIAR research centers. In 1996, the award was given to ICRISAT for developing a downy-mildew-resistant and yield-increasing pearl millet; and in 1998, for its improvement of pigeonpea.

The institute is composed of about 900 staff headed by Director-General Dr. William Dar, a Filipino scientist. Its latest undertaking is an agri-science park as its technology commercialization arm. This park is located in the ICRISAT premises in India.

For more information, see http://www.icrisat.org. Details on ICRISAT's agri-science park can also be read at http://www.agri-sciencepark-at-icrisat.org

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