The BRICS nations on Saturday announced four new agriculture initiatives, including the establishment of Agroecology and Regenerative Agriculture for Climate Resilience and Productivity and Digital Agriculture.

In a significant breakthrough for India, the BRICS grouping adopted the New Delhi joint declaration with consensus, in which the leaders also agreed to the establishment of a collaborative, non-binding, and farmer-centric BRICS AGRIN (Agro-Inputs, Genetic Resources, and Information Network), while welcoming the launch of a Global Forum on Farmers’ Rights in Seed Systems.

“We welcome the outcomes of the 16th BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting, held in Indore. We agree to the establishment of a collaborative, non-binding, and farmer-centric BRICS AGRIN (Agro-Inputs, Genetic Resources, and Information Network), drawing upon relevant national, regional, and international practices. We also welcome the launch of a Global Forum on Farmers’ Rights in Seed Systems to address shared challenges, promote effective policies, and encourage the documentation and exchange of traditional knowledge related to agriculture and seed systems,” the New Delhi Declaration stated.

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It also welcomed the strengthening of cooperation in agriculture through the establishment of a BRICS Network of Centres of Excellence on Agroecology and Regenerative Agriculture for Climate Resilience and Productivity, and a BRICS Network on Digital Agriculture, including agroforestry, fisheries, and aquaculture. We also encourage further cooperation under the BRICS Dialogue on Development of Fisheries and Aquaculture, it said.

The BRICS nation also reiterated their commitment to advancing agriculture negotiations at the WTO.

“We reaffirm our commitment to advancing agriculture negotiations at the WTO, in accordance with existing Ministerial mandates and the WTO Agreement on Agriculture (AoA), with a view to achieving progress on long-standing mandated issues and promoting a fair, balanced and development-oriented agricultural trading system, while recognizing that evolving policy and regulatory developments increasingly affect agricultural production and trade, food security and the livelihoods of smallholders and family farmers. We also welcome ongoing efforts to promote sustainability, inclusivity, and equitable market access in the global sustainable vegetable oils sector,” the declaration said.