Cabinet approves MoU between India-BRICs to set up BRICS Agriculture Research Platform

Cabinet has approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between India and BRICs countries to set up BRICS Agriculture Research Platform, on Wednesday.

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for a MoU signed among India and various BRICs countries for establishment of the BRICS Agriculture Research Platform (BRICS-ARP).

The proposal was presented by Prime Minister Modi to establish BRICS Agriculture Research Centre during the 7th BRICS Summit held on 9thJuly 2015 at Ufa in Russia.

The Centre would promote sustainable agricultural development and poverty alleviation through strategic cooperation in agriculture to provide food security in the BRICS member countries, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

The MoU on establishment of the Agricultural Research Platform was signed by the foreign Ministers of BRICS countries in the 8th BRICS Summit held on 16th October, 2016 at Goa.

This was done so in order to further intensify cooperation among BRICS countries in agricultural research policy, science and technology, innovation and capacity building, including technologies for small-holder farming in the BRICS countries.

BRICS-ARP will be the natural global platform for science-led agriculture-based sustainable development for addressing the issues of world hunger, under-nutrition, poverty and inequality, particularly between farmers' and non-farmers' income, and enhancing agricultural trade, bio-security and climate resilient agriculture.