ICRISAT Into the New Millennium
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The semi-arid tropics
The world over, agriculture is a risky business. But nowhere are the uncertainties so
pronounced, and farmers so vulnerable to crop failure, as in the semi-arid tropics (SAT).
These regions cover almost 20 million km2 in 48 developing countries, and are home
to one-sixth of the world’s population. In each of these countries, the poorest segment of the
population -- about 380 million people worldwide -- lives in SAT areas.
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The semi-arid tropics include some of the world’s harshest farming environments. Drought
is a constant threat -- it occurs two years out of five in 40% of the SAT, and the frequency
of dry years is increasing. Soils are poor. Poverty and food insecurity are widespread.
Populations are growing rapidly, straining land and water resources to their limit.
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Agricultural research offers small-scale farmers a chance to escape from the downward
spiral of land degradation, declining yields, and poverty. And the International Crops
Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and its partners have shown that no
matter how formidable the problems, good science and long-term commitment will provide
solutions.
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Milestones: 1972
- MOU to create ICRISAT signed between GOI CGIAR, 28 Mar
- City office opens at Somajiguda, Hyderabad, 1 Apr
- Property title for ICRISAT Center transferred, 27 Apr
- First international staff appointed
- First experimental trials sown, 24 Jun
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At the threshold of a new millennium, here is a small tribute to ICRISAT’s vision of
agricultural research for development; the scientific partnerships that have sustained
this vision; and most important of all, the courage and tenacity of the farming communities
that live in the harsh semi-arid tropics.
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