When I assumed office at ICRISAT in January 2000, I realized, having come from a farm family, that we needed a battle cry in our mission to help the poor of the semi-arid tropics. I felt strongly that there must be an over-riding reason, a more encompassing objective behind the seemingly faceless science that we do. This is because ICRISAT deals with not only crops in the semi-arid tropics -- it also helps empower the poor of the dry tropics – the men, women and children who struggle everyday to make both ends meet.

ICRISAT is an organization that serves poor people first and foremost. Science is a means that we use to serve the poor, not an end in itself. Even if we do excellent research, but do not make an impact in improving the lives of the poor, we have failed. Only by using science to help developing countries reduce poverty, malnutrition, and environmental degradation can we say that we have made a difference.

Beyond producing quality and cutting edge science, our work at ICRISAT, in cooperation with our partners, should benefit the most marginalized, disadvantaged and hungry. In other words, we tailor our research programs to meet real human needs.

The agricultural research we undertake not only generates cutting edge knowledge about crop genes, production systems and natural resource management, it also results in increased incomes for poor farmers and improved quality of life among farm households in the dry tropics.

This is the human face of the science and the agricultural research that we do . This is the overarching theme of our efforts and paramount motive of our endeavors.

Why should we do all of this? The single reason is poverty. In spite of the much heralded gains of science in increasing food production, there are still about 840 million people, 13 percent of the global population, who are poor and food insecure. They are concentrated in developing countries, led by Asia with almost half of its total population still food-insecure, followed by sub-Saharan Africa (35%), and Latin America (17%). In India, about 84% of the rural poor live in rainfed areas where food is very scarce.

Complementing science with a human face , we are also spearheading a Grey to Green Revolution in the semi-arid tropics. Most of us are familiar with the Green Revolution of the 60s and 70s. Undisputedly, it had tremendous impact in increasing farm productivity. Without it, a billion people would be hungry today.

However, the idea that the food problem has been solved by the Green Revolution is incorrect. It is sobering to realize that a quarter of the world's people missed the benefits of the Green Revolution.

Many people ask us if it is possible to turn Grey areas to Green . Well, it's not easy. The grey areas are characterized by harsh, marginal environments, yearly climate variation, high risks, and scarce capital for the poor. But the good news is that the Grey to Green Revolution is overcoming these adversities. The key is to adapt cropping systems to the natural variability of the environment, not the other way around. Adapting the crop to the environment means farmers get more out of their own natural resource endowment. This approach also helps position them in the global market.

In the Grey to Green Revolution , we help empower the poor to manage their local resources and put them to much better use. By managing and optimizing local resources, poor people can turn adversity into opportunity. This way, they extricate themselves from poverty on their own, without depending on costly inputs or external aid.

The Grey to Green Revolution therefore goes beyond increasing crop productivity. It is empowering the poor to build their own capacities, self-confidence and self-reliance.