BRICS agriculture meeting begins in Indore, focus on food security and trade

A fiveday BRICS conference focused on agriculture began in Madhya Pradeshs Indore officials said adding that the discussions are centred on food security climateresilient farming agricultural trade farmer welfare and innovationThe meeting being held under Indias BRICS chairmanship started today and will continue until June 13 Officials from member countries are taking part in the Agriculture Working Group deliberations until June 11 after which agriculture ministers will meet on June 12 and 13Indias Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Secretary Atish Chandra inaugurated the meeting reported PTIGlobal agriculture challenges in focusDelegates are discussing a wide range of issues affecting agriculture across the world including food security nutrition climatesmart farming agricultural trade supply chains digital agriculture research knowledgesharing artificial intelligence AI and roboticsA joint declaration is expected to be issued after the agriculture ministers conclude their discussions later this weekWhy the BRICS agriculture dialogue mattersBRICS comprises 11 emerging economies Brazil Russia India China South Africa Egypt Ethiopia Iran Saudi Arabia the United Arab Emirates and IndonesiaAccording to officials BRICS countries account for 42 per cent of the worlds agricultural land and more than 42 per cent of global agricultural production Nearly 70 per cent of the worlds 580 million farmers live in BRICS countries making cooperation among member nations critical for global food securityThe BRICS Agricultural Research Platform established during Indias presidency in 2016 continues to support research collaboration and technical cooperation among member countriesChouhan calls event a proud momentSpeaking ahead of the ministerial sessions Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan described the conference as a proud moment for both India and Madhya PradeshThis is a proud moment for India and Madhya Pradesh Chouhan said highlighting the importance of the gathering in addressing key agricultural challenges facing the worldThe meeting is taking place in Indore the economic capital of Madhya Pradesh and Indias cleanest city It also coincides with the state governments declaration of 2026 as the Year of Farmer WelfareFour priorities for discussionsAccording to Chouhan the Agriculture Working Group is focusing on four major areasFood security and nutritionAgricultural trade and cooperationClimateresilient and sustainable agriculturePartnerships in innovation and researchThe discussions are also examining ways to strengthen support for small and marginal farmers who form the backbone of agriculture in many BRICS nations reported IANSA special sessionA special session on June 12 will focus on Future Food Security through Women and Youth highlighting the role of women in agriculture and the growing contribution of young people in adopting modern technologies and innovative farming practicesAddressing climate and food challengesDelegates are also discussing global challenges such as climate change unpredictable weather patterns food wastage and limited resources available to small farmersThe conference is exploring solutions including regenerative agriculture improved storage and supply chains stronger market access and the promotion of allied sectors such as animal husbandry and fisheries to improve farmers incomesChouhan noted that India has generated 980 crore farmer IDs and expanded the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund to Rs 2 lakh crore to strengthen postharvest infrastructure across the countryWith PTI IANS Inputs