The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the Mexico-based research organisation that was instrumental in India's Green Revolution, is now facing a severe funding shortfall as support from the US government dwindles.
In response, it is urgently turning to nations like India to help pioneer new financing models and safeguard global food security.
Partnership at a crossroads
In an exclusive interview with PTI, CIMMYT's Director General, Bram Govaerts, recalled the organisation's pivotal role in transforming India from a food-importing country into a self-sufficient nation and a regional exporter.
This historic partnership established a deep bond between the institute and India.
However, Govaerts warned that this legacy is now at risk. With mounting pressures from climate change causing more frequent floods and droughts, he explained that the systems protecting global food supplies are under immense strain.
He cautioned that without an immediate increase in investment, critical surveillance networks that monitor and prevent crop diseases could collapse by the end of the year.
From beneficiary to global leader
With its traditional funding sources becoming less certain, Govaerts told agencies that it is time for countries like India and Mexico to step up.
He called for a new era of collaboration, not just in funding but in shaping a sustainable partnership to support agricultural resilience in Asia and Africa.
He emphasised that this is a moment for India to transition from being a beneficiary of CIMMYT's work to a leader in global food security.
He described the organisation's work as essential "business continuity insurance" for society and suggested India could invest in regional hubs to help neighbours like Nepal and Bangladesh.
To illustrate the stakes, Govaerts cited the rapid response to the UG99 wheat rust epidemic in 1999, where CIMMYT's genebank provided resistant wheat varieties that prevented a potential crisis in India.
He warned that without new resources, this capacity to respond to future threats will diminish.
‘Not a debt, but a future together’
The CIMMYT chief stressed that his appeal is not about asking India to repay a historical "debt" for its Green Revolution. Instead, he framed it as a critical opportunity to "create a future together."
Govaerts stated that by working in partnership once again, India and CIMMYT can tackle modern agricultural challenges and project food security for the rest of the world, making the concept of "one world" a reality.
