The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) signed a Statement of Intent (SoI), aiming to fortify policy and program frameworks contributing to India’s developmental objectives. This strategic partnership signifies a commitment to strengthen policy and program frameworks, paving the way for a more sustainable and inclusive future for India’s food systems.
#NITIAayog and @IFPRI have signed a Statement of Intent to collaborate on research on agriculture and food policies. 🌱 🤝
The Statement of Intent was signed by Member NITI Aayog Prof. @Ramesh_ChandDr and Dr. @Jo_Swinnen, Director General, IFPRI in the presence of the… pic.twitter.com/Nwxr8qIsr8
— NITI Aayog (@NITIAayog) December 13, 2023
The SoI empowers IFPRI to actively support NITI Aayog’s Agriculture Vertical in several crucial areas:
Developing and tracking Rural Transformation Indicators: This will provide crucial data to measure progress and inform policy decisions.
Supporting flagship program design and evaluation: IFPRI’s expertise will be leveraged to refine existing programs and ensure their effectiveness.
Providing policy analytical tools: Advanced tools and data models will be developed to guide informed policy decisions.
Generating evidence on India’s agri-food trade: Understanding the global context and trade dynamics will be critical for strategic decision-making.
This collaboration aligns with NITI Aayog’s ongoing efforts to guide India’s development programs through rigorous monitoring and evaluation, with a special focus on agriculture. “In India’s development trajectory, agriculture will play a central role,” emphasized Suman Bery, Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog. He underscored the importance of increased agricultural productivity, sustainable practices, and strong rural demand as key drivers of economic revival and transformation.
IFPRI’s role in the SoI goes beyond mere technical assistance. Dr. Johan Swinnen, Director General and Managing Director, Systems Transformation, CGIAR, expressed the institute’s commitment to a broader vision. “This SoI will enable us to engage on a wider range of issues related to ‘Systems Transformation’,” he stated, emphasizing the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to ensuring a sustainable food system for India. He further highlighted the SoI as a platform to share IFPRI and CGIAR’s vast knowledge and experiences with Indian think tanks, research institutions, and centers of excellence.
Professor Ramesh Chand, Member of NITI Aayog, expressed his optimism about the collaboration’s potential. He stated, “This SoI holds immense promise for generating new insights into the role of agriculture in shaping economic development in India and other emerging economies.”