RIS Organizes Workshop on Capacity Building in Agri Trade in Association with Pondicherry University & IFPRI

Capacity building programs enable people and organizations to develop competencies and skills that make them more effective and sustainable, reduce poverty, food insecurity while increasing their ability to increase agricultural production and improve their livelihoods and leads to sustainable agricultural development for the prosperity of nation.

According to a press release from the University, approximately 30 scholars from India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka in the BIMSTEC region attended the programme. It aimed to highlight current challenges in the global, regional, and local agriculture sectors, with a focus on practical training sessions.

V. Geethalakshmi, Vice Chancellor, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University, Coimbatore, inaugurated the programme, focusing on the issue of climate change in agriculture and how trade can aid in the adoption of climate-smart agriculture.

Ambassador Rudrendra Tandon, Additional Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, emphasized the importance of trade facilitation and investment in the BIMSTEC region to boost agriculture trade. "BIMSTEC is a ready-made machinery for regional policy action," he said.

Through the G20, Pondicherry University Vice-Chancellor Gurmeet Singh shared his thoughts on the global agriculture scenario and India's role in the global economy. S.K. Mohanty, RIS, New Delhi, observed that the rise of middle-income groups in several developing countries was posing nutritional challenges, in addition to the challenges of livelihood security in the face of trade surpluses.

As the main pillar of the capacity building programme, IFPRI's Mamata Pradhan emphasized the importance of collaborative research, capacity partnership, and policy engagement. RIS Pankhuri Gaur also spoke. The dignitaries also released a book on "BIMSTEC: Mapping Sub-Regionalism in Asia".