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Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA)

The Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA) is a non-profit international research institute dedicated to food, nutrition and livelihood security as well as environmental rehabilitation in South Asia, which is home to more than 300 million undernourished people. BISA is a collaborative effort involving the CIMMYT and the Indian Council for Agricultural Research. The objective of BISA is to harness the latest technology in agriculture to improve farm productivity and sustainably meet the demands of the future. BISA is more than an institute. It is a commitment to the people of South Asia, particularly to the farmers, and a concerted effort to catalyze a second Green Revolution.

BISA was established on October 5, 2011, through an agreement between the Government of India (GoI) and CIMMYT and was bolstered by the globally credible name of Nobel Laureate Norman Ernest Borlaug. The institution draws on the decades of experience and success by CIMMYT, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and a global network of partners in using research to generate tangible benefits for farmers internationally. BISA is supported by a growing number of national stakeholders in South Asia. It is committed to stronger collaborations for accelerated impact, most prominently with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the three state governments (Punjab, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh) where BISA farms are located.

Objectives

  • Ensure access to the latest in research and technologies that are currently not available in the region
  • Strategize research aimed at doubling food production in South Asia while using less water, land and energy
  • Strengthen cutting-edge research that validates and tests new technologies to significantly increase yield potential
  • Develop technologies for higher productivity in rice, maize and wheat based farming systems
  • Design research outputs targeted to small and marginal farmers across the region
  • Build on CIMMYT’s vast germplasm resources, and make research products and know-how developed by BISA freely available to stakeholders
  • Create a new generation of scientists to work with new technologies through training programs that will retain them in South Asia
  • Enable researchers to pursue multiple strategies and research possibilities while simultaneously allowing for more meaningful collaboration with national institutions
  • Build a forum with partners from all sectors – research centers, governments, science community, businesses and farmers – to transform farmers’ lives and improve food security in the region
  • Develop a policy environment that embraces new technologies and encourages investments in agricultural research
  • Develop and utilize BISA as a regional platform that focuses on agricultural research in the whole of South Asia

Download the BISA Annual Report 2022.

For more information:

Meenakshi Chandiramani
Office Manager
CIMMYT-BISA
m.chandiramani@cgiar.org

Richa Sharma Puri
Communication Specialist
CIMMYT-BISA
r.puri@cgiar.org

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