Annual Report 2022
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ICRISAT Annual Report 2022
Commemorating 50 years
of Impact
Annual Report
2022
ICRISAT Annual Report 2022
ICRISAT Annual Report 2022
We begin the year 2022 with great enthusiasm, having
been honored with the prestigious Africa Food Prize 2021.
This recognition has further strengthened our commitment
to advancing agriculture and food security in the dryland
tropics, and we are pleased to present to you ICRISAT’s
annual report for this year, which is particularly significant
as it marks the Institute’s 50th anniversary.
This milestone was commemorated by the Prime Minister
of India, Narendra Modi, who recognized our deep
contributions made to dryland agriculture and food security
not only in India, but in Africa and further afield. We are
immensely proud of this recognition by a global leader of
his stature, and take great pride in the many partnerships
that have enabled this success. It underscores the impact
and relevance of our work in supporting robust agri-food
systems in the drylands to improve the lives and livelihoods
of small-holder farmers and their communities.
Our organization’s Strategic Plan continues to guide
our efforts towards achieving our vision of a prosperous,
food-secure, and resilient dryland tropics. Our three global
research programs and three regional programs work
seamlessly across our regions and together they continue
to make a significant impact on the lives and livelihoods of
smallholder farmers in Africa, India, and beyond, particularly
in the areas of crop improvement, natural resource
management, and market-oriented development. These
practical contributions to the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs) are particularly noteworthy, and we are proud
to be contributing to these important global targets.
As we look ahead to the year 2023, we are preparing for the
UN International Year of Millets, which will be an important
platform for promoting the nutritional and economic
benefits of these often-overlooked crops. At ICRISAT,
we have long recognized the importance of millets in
supporting the livelihoods of dryland smallholder farmers
and their role in improving food and nutrition security. Our
research in this area has yielded important insights and
innovations that will be highlighted during this global event.
As you peruse this report, we hope you will be inspired by
the scope and depth of the Institute’s achievements over
the past year. We are grateful for the support of our donors,
partners and other stakeholders, and we look forward to
continuing to work together towards a brighter future for
the world’s drylands.
Foreword
As the Governing Board Chair of the International Crops
Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT),
I am delighted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of our
esteemed institution. It was an immense honor to have
the distinguished presence of the Prime Minister of India,
Narendra Modi join us in commemorating this special
occasion. His recognition of ICRISAT’s contributions to
agricultural research and innovation in the semi-arid
tropics is a testament to the institute’s ongoing impact
and dedication to improving the lives and livelihoods of
smallholder farmers in the global drylands.
Our 50th anniversary not only provides us with an
opportunity to reflect on our past achievements, but
it also inspires us to set our sights on the future as a
global leader in agricultural research and innovation
in the dryland tropics. Building upon our rich legacy of
innovation, we are determined to remain at the forefront
of scientific advancements and technology, while fostering
collaborations and partnerships to maximize our impact and
reach.
As we enter a new era of global challenges, we recognize
the importance of repositioning ourselves to have an
even greater impact on the lives and livelihoods of
smallholder farmers in Africa, Asia, and beyond. Our focus
on collaborative and productive partnerships, along with
cutting-edge research, is key to this endeavor. Through
our collaborations with governments, private sector
organizations, and other research institutions, we are
strengthening our efforts to achieve our shared goals.
Our achievements are a testament to the creativity and
hard work of our researchers, staff and valued partners.
As we look to the next 50 years, we remain committed to
building upon our legacy and finding new and innovative
ways to improve the lives of those we serve.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to
my fellow board members, partners, donors, leadership
team, and staff for their unwavering support of ICRISAT’s
mission. I trust this report will provide a brief insight into
our collective impact and how together, we can continue to
serve the many smallholder farmers and their communities
who rely on us for a brighter future.
Professor Prabhu Pingali
Governing Board Chair
Dr Jacqueline Hughes
Director General
Message from the Director General
Message from the Governing Board Chair
ICRISAT Annual Report 2022
ICRISAT Annual Report 2022
ICRISAT thanks its donors, partners and supporters for enabling us to keep
delivering the innovations that overcome hunger, malnutrition, poverty and
environmental degradation for the 2.1 billion people who reside in the drylands
of Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and beyond.
Table of Contents
Research Highlights
Corporate
Board Members
Human Resources
10
Communications
11
Donors and Partners
12
Research Outcomes
14
Message from Deputy Director General - Research
15
Global and Regional Program Directors
15
1. Innovating for Impact: Accelerating Crop Nutrition and Productivity
16
1.1 Improved Varieties
17
1.2 Enhancing Crop Productivity and Nutritional Value
18
1.3 Germplasm Collection and Conservation
19
2. Growing Resilience: Future-Proofing Farming
20
2.1 Growing Resilience in Africa
21
2.2 Digital Agriculture
24
2.3 Growing Resilience in India
25
3. Breaking Barriers: Building Effective Agri-Food Systems
26
3.1 Building Effective Agri-food Systems in Africa
27
3.2 Building Effective Agri-food Systems in India
28
3.3 The Smart Food Initiative
29
Publications, Knowledge Transfer and Training
30
ICRISAT50 Celebrations
32
Local Reach, Global Impact
ICRISAT Annual Report 2021
Republic of South Sudan
India
10
Tanzania
Zimbabwe
Research Highlights
Twenty two new cultivars of sorghum (13), pearl millet
(3), chickpea (5), and groundnut (1) released in South
Sudan, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and India using ICRISAT
germplasm
About 38,300 seed samples distributed to researchers
globally and 50,000 accessions safety duplicated at IITA,
World Vegetable Center, and USDA-ARS genebanks
Transforming Irrigation systems in Southern Africa (TISA)
project, led by ICRISAT and partners, wins the 2022 EFMD
Excellence in Practice Gold Award
ICRISAT recognized as a knowledge partner by the
National Rainfed Area Authority for developing National
Technical Standards for integrating Land Resource
Inventory and hydrology for new generation watershed
management programs
ICRISAT signs a five-year cooperative agreement with
USAID for implementing the second phase of SERVIR
West Africa
ICRISAT partners with World Food Program and Institute
of Rural Economy in Mali to test and validate new recipes
on millets and legumes and popularizes them through
community awareness and capacity building programs
A secondary processing unit and a millet processing unit
set up in Andhra Pradesh and in Odisha, India, respectively,
for the benefit of farmers
Launch of MRIDA, a gaming app for farmers that
facilitates behavioral change for adopting climate-smart
agriculture practices, developed in collaboration with
Vasudhaika Software Private Limited (Kalgudi)
Eighty participatory validation trials held in the State
of Telangana, India, under the ‘Groundnut Value Chain
Innovations to Enhance Farmer Profitability and Promote
Oil, Food and Confectionery Industries in Telangana’
project
Over 100 participatory validation plots in Senegal feature
early-maturing pearl millet, groundnut, and cowpea
varieties that are high-yielding and pest-resistant with high
biomass under the AICCRA project, funded by the World
Bank and led by ILRI in collaboration with ICRISAT and
CIAT.
Asia
Eastern and Southern Africa
West and Central Africa
Australia
Varieties released using
ICRISAT-supplied germplasm
and breeding material in 2022
Sorghum
Pearl Millet
Chickpea
Groundnut
Legend:
New varieties released in 2022
ICRISAT Annual Report 2022
Mali
Senegal
Ghana
Burkina Faso
Nigeria
Niger
Mozambique
Malawi
Ethiopia
Kenya
Australia
China
Selected new projects (2022)
India
Building Community Resilience by Alleviation of Water
Scarcity and Land Degradation through Integrated Natural
Resource Management in Bundelkhand, UP
Increasing Pulses Productivity and Incomes through
Science-led Interventions in Rice Fallows of Odisha
Implementation of Frontline Demonstration on Oilseeds
and other related activities by ICAR-IIOR during 2022-
23 - Sunflower - in the states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand and Haryana
Pan-Africa
Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation Phase II
Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA)
Scaling Commercialization of Drought Tolerant Crops
(DTC) technologies to Enhance COVID 19 Recovery and
Resilience and Secure Dignified and Fulfilling Work for
Youth
(Kenya)
Takunda program
(Zimbabwe)
Strengthening agri-food systems in Niassa to unlock
livelihoods and economic opportunity
(Mozambique)
Aflatoxin Prevention and Control along the Groundnut
Value Chain
(Malawi)
Harnessing crop (finger millet) diversity to mitigate the
effects of our changing climate
(Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda)
West and Central Africa (WCA)
Pearl millet and sorghum seed kits for boosting
productivity and strengthening resilience of vulnerable
households
(Niger and Chad)
Enhancing the productivity and resilience of agro-pastoral
systems, and income, food and nutrition security through
market-oriented innovations
(Niger)
Sorghum variety development and improvement
(Nigeria)
Networking4Seed II
(Burkina Faso, Niger, Mali)
Gendered analysis of farm household level climate
risk perceptions, coping strategies, access to climate
information and household resilience in dry regions
(Senegal)
SERVIR West Africa
(Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal)
Others
Establishment of CAAS-ICRISAT-ICARDA Joint Centre of
Excellence for Dry Land Agriculture
(China)
Chickpea Commercialization
(Australia)
Uganda
Chad
ICRISAT Annual Report 2022
Corporate
ICRISAT Annual Report 2022
Manoj Ahuja
Ex-officio
Government of India
Himanshu Pathak
Governing Board Vice Chair
Ex-officio, Government of India
Jacqueline Hughes
Director General
Ex-officio
Prabhu Pingali
Governing Board Chair
Cathy Reade
Independent
Jim Godfrey
Independent
Sissel Rogne
Independent
(until March 2022)
Laurie Tollefson
Independent
Somesh Kumar
Ex-officio
Government of Telangana, India
Yilma Kebede
Independent
Yaye Kene Gassama
Independent
Folasade Ogunde
Independent
Regine Andersen
Independent
(from March 2022)
ICRISAT Governing Board Members
10
ICRISAT Annual Report 2022
In 2022, ICRISAT consolidated its position as a
globally diverse organization, with a workforce of
over 2100 members from 26 different nations,
actively working across 14 countries. As part of its
commitment to providing a supportive and engaging
workplace environment, the Institute conducted
an independent staff survey to gauge employee
satisfaction and engagement levels across all
locations in Asia and Africa.
The survey results were overwhelmingly positive,
with employees expressing a strong belief in the
mission of ICRISAT and a high level of engagement
in their work. The Institute’s ongoing efforts to foster
a culture of diversity and inclusion have also been
well-received by staff members, who report feeling
supported and fulfilled in their roles.
As we continue to pursue our mission of improving
the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across
the drylands, ICRISAT remains committed to
maintaining a highly engaged and motivated
workforce. We will continue to prioritize the creation
of a positive and inclusive work environment, with
a strong focus on gender equality and where every
member of our team feels valued and supported.
2,100+
Members
26
Different
nations
Working
across
14
Countries
Human Resources
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36