ICRISAT Director General Reaffirms Commitment to the Sahel and the Dryland Tropics During Visit
The Sahel region, one of the most climate-vulnerable areas of the world and home to millions of smallholder farmers, remains central to ICRISAT’s mission of building resilient dryland food systems.
Reaffirming this commitment, Dr Himanshu Pathak, Director General of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), led a delegation to Mali and Niger, alongside participation at the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF) in Senegal.
The visit focused on strengthening partnerships, scaling climate-resilient technologies, and advancing sustainable agricultural development across the Sahel.
Dr Pathak was joined by Dr. Stanford Blade, Deputy Director General – Research, and Dr Rebbie Harawa, ICRISAT’s Director for Africa and Global Research Program Director for Resilient Farm Systems.
The delegation reaffirmed ICRISAT’s enduring commitment to improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across the Sahel in the face of climate change.
Strengthening National and Regional Collaboration
In Mali, a highlight of the visit was a meeting with the Hon. Dr Daniel Simeon Kelema, Minister of Agriculture, who expressed the government’s commitment to work closely with ICRISAT and other research institutions.
Discussions focused on scaling climate-resilient technologies and investing in value chains for key dryland crops such as millet, sorghum, and groundnut, which fall under ICRISAT’s research mandate.
"We value the holistic approach of ICRISAT to agricultural research for development.
We truly value ICRISAT’s holistic approach to agricultural research for development, which is effectively bridging the gap between science and the end users.
We urge for deeper collaboration to strengthen the value chain of climate-resilient crops with high-quality seeds, as well as to explore all innovative solutions to address the growing challenges of a changing climate,” said Dr Kelema.
The delegation also engaged with Mali’s Ministry of Environment, agreeing on the importance of elevating their partnership.
Consultations were held with representatives of the Dutch Embassy, European Union Delegation, World Food Programme (WFP), FAO, and the Belgian Embassy, exploring new avenues for collaboration and funding in agricultural research and climate resilience.
Engaging the Private Sector and Development Partners
Dr Pathak also met with private sector stakeholders in seed production and marketing, farmer cooperatives, and development agencies.
A key engagement was with Mr Zantigui Boua Koné, Director General of the Agency for Environment and Sustainable Development (AEDD).
Discussions centered on joint opportunities in climate change adaptation and mitigation, leveraging ICRISAT’s scientific expertise for national development goals.
Dr. Pathak also engaged with private sector actors, notably in the seed industry.
His visit to the seed company Faso Kaba underscored the critical focus on strengthening seed systems and empowering national actors to drive agricultural transformation.
“Our partnership with ICRISAT has grown stronger through collaborative projects and capacity-building initiatives, which have equipped us with both the human resources and the technology needed for efficient seed production,” said Ms. Oumou N'tji Coulibaly, Manager of Faso Kaba, a leading seed company in Mali, African Food Prize winner, and a long-time partner of ICRISAT.
“When our farmers’ cooperative was first formed, I was the only woman in the group.
"Today, we have over 40 female farmers among our members. Through participatory research trials and demonstrations, we’ve received training in seed multiplication.
"We now produce and sell seeds to our community and beyond our region.
We were in need of early-maturing, high-yielding crops that could withstand drought and other climate-related challenges, and that’s exactly what we’ve achieved,” shared Ms. Niagale, a member of the COPROSEM farmers’ cooperative.
“We didn’t just produce seeds; we also received training on how to process high-quality millet, sorghum, and groundnut-based products.
Our partnership with ICRISAT has provided us with valuable market linkages to seed companies. We now produce on a contractual basis for these companies and other clients in need of our products,” said Ms. Mariam Coulibaly, a woman farmer from Wakoro.
Field Visits and Research Engagement
The Director General visited Mali’s Institute of Rural Economy (IER) for in-depth discussions with its Director, Dr Kalifa Traore.
The visit highlighted ongoing collaborations, including crop improvement trials, technology demonstrations, and investments in research infrastructure that directly support smallholder farmers.
Visit to Niger and Regional Engagement in Senegal
Dr Pathak then traveled to Dakar, Senegal, to participate in the Africa Food Systems Forum (AFSF).
There, he engaged with regional and global leaders, including Dr. Moumouni Savadogo, Executive Director of CORAF (West and Central Africa Council for Agricultural Research and Development), to strengthen collaboration in advancing resilient food systems.
In his meetings with officials across Mali and the wider region, Dr Pathak outlined the Institute’s strategic vision and reaffirmed its long-standing commitment to working alongside the people of the Sahel.
This commitment builds on decades of support in areas such as crop improvement, integrated soil fertility management, and capacity development.
Today, it extends further through innovative platforms including the ICRISAT Dryland Academy, the Centre of Excellence for South–South Cooperation, and initiatives that foster mechanization and digital agriculture.
