ICRISAT co-releases pearl millet and sorghum hybrids in Zimbabwe
To drive global climate resilience and sustainable food systems
A new cooperation framework has been signed between the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Eagle Genomics at the International Conference on Innovations to Transform Drylands, held on 21-23 February 2023 in Hyderabad.
Director General, ICRISAT, Dr Jacqueline Hughes and Eagle Genomics CEO, Anthony Finbow signed the agreement overseen by an international gathering of some of the world’s foremost dryland agrifood system experts.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will see leading organisations – Eagle Genomics, the pioneering UK-based TechBio platform business applying network science to biology and ICRISAT, an India-headquartered international non-profit organisation that undertakes scientific research for development – collaborate at the intersection of life science and data science to help solve urgent global challenges in food security, nutrition, and agriculture.
The MoU would help underpin next-generation innovation to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of the over two billion people living in the drylands of Asia, Africa and beyond. It will contribute to safe and nutritious food for all, through a shift to sustainable consumption and nature-positive production systems that can drive One Health outcomes for humans, animals, and the environment.
There is growing awareness that malnutrition cannot be solved without a robust understanding of the role of the microbiome both in enhancing resilience to climate change but also in enhancing nutrient absorption. This includes ensuring access to safe and healthy food and targeting novel microbial-based solutions to improve nutrition, enhance wellness and reduce disease.