Charting a Biodiversity-Positive Roadmap for India’s Agrifood Systems: Leading Institutions Convene at ICRISAT
ICRIER, UNDP, BIOFIN, and ICRISAT lead expert round table discussions to define actionable steps for repurposing India’s agricultural programmes and policies toward biodiversity-positive outcomes.
Hyderabad, India – To advance the alignment of agriculture with biodiversity conservation, the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) and the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Biodiversity Finance Initiative (BIOFIN) in collaboration with the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), hosted a high-level Round Table on “Repurposing Public Policies and Programmes in Agriculture for Protecting Biodiversity” on 25 June 2025 at ICRISAT’s headquarters.
In the last 25 years, India’s agrifood budget has notably grown from ₹355 billion (US$7.9 billion) to ₹6,328 billion (US$76 billion), now representing nearly 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This exponential growth presents a significant opportunity to repurpose subsidies and programmes to protect agrobiodiversity in addition to sustaining productivity. This consultation brought together policymakers, researchers, agricultural experts, and grassroots organisations to discuss how to repurpose subsidies and redesign incentives, aligning India’s farming policies with global biodiversity goals.
In his special address, Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General, ICRISAT, gave an overview of CGIAR’s enduring commitment to germplasm conservation through its 11 international genebanks. He underscored the timeliness of the dialogue and remarked,
“The purpose of agriculture today goes beyond food security, it must now also deliver nutrition security. To meet this evolving purpose, our policies must adapt accordingly. Science and technology are central to this transformation, and a strong scientific foundation can help guide us in the right direction. Through its proven strengths in research, validation, demonstration, and knowledge transfer, ICRISAT is well-positioned to support this critical shift.”
A National Strategy Backed by Global Commitments
This event marks a pivotal step in India’s commitment to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). In line with KMGBF, India launched its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) during the 16th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in October 2024.
“Conserving biodiversity is the only way to safeguard our economy, food systems, and future. India has begun moving towards nature-positive solutions, shifting from biodiversity-negative subsidies to biodiversity-positive or neutral investments. We are here to support this transition. To accelerate this change, we must unite through strong partnerships,” noted Dr Angela Lusigi, Resident Representative, UNDP.
UNDP’s flagship BIOFIN programme, in collaboration with ICRIER, carried out a nationwide assessment of programmes, incentives, and subsidies that specifically impact agrobiodiversity. The study culminated with the launch of the ICRIER-UNDP-BIOFIN Report “Repurposing Agrifood Policies for Biodiversity,” co-authored by Dr Reena Singh, Ms Purvi Thangaraj, Dr Ruchi Pant, and Dr Ashok Gulati.
While unveiling the study during the event, Dr Ashok Gulati, Distinguished Professor, ICRIER, presented the key outputs of the study, which mapped around 46 Indian government schemes across eight ministries over the past 25 years. He also set the context for the discussion by emphasising the urgent need to repurpose current policies.
"We need to rethink, reorient, and repurpose our policies and schemes so they don’t directly affect biodiversity. It is time to give back to nature. We need SWAB—Soil, Water, Air, Biodiversity—at the centre of this transformation,” he stated.
Calling it a “historical roundtable,” Shri C Achalender Reddy, IFS (Retd), Chairman, National Biodiversity Authority, Government of India, stressed the importance of sensitising political leaders and policymakers about biodiversity. He provided an overview of India’s progress in integrating biodiversity conservation at all levels, highlighting the country’s status as one of the 46 signatories to the Kunming-Montreal agreement and its formulation of National Biodiversity Targets aligned with global goals.
Congratulating the ICRIER team for their comprehensive study, Shri C Achalender Reddy, stated:
“Telangana is the first state to come up with a State Biodiversity Action Plan aligned with the new global biodiversity framework. The ICRIER study and the state strategy can go hand in hand and serve as a strong starting point for course correction.”
From Insights to Action: Key Outcomes and Next Steps
Participants representing the entire agrifood value chain, including grassroots organisations like the Watershed Support Services and Activities Network (WASSAN), the Deccan Development Society, policy-level institutions such as the Department of Agriculture – Government of Telangana, the Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs); and international institutions like the Alliance Bioversity International - CIAT, deliberated on key challenges that current agrifood systems face. These included increased monocropping, lack of crop diversification, declining soil health, stubble burning, and inefficiencies in the fertilizer subsidy system. They also highlighted existing state-level models that are moving in a biodiversity-positive direction.
A consensus emerged on the need for sensitisation at multiple levels to integrate biodiversity-positive tools, technologies, and policies into mainstream agricultural practices. The group discussed the potential of piloting some of the recommendations in Telangana, given recent progress under the state’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Roseleen Aind
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