On the second day of CGIAR Science Week 2025, IRRI continues to highlight its leadership in harnessing and scaling science and innovation through rice research worldwide. In the science talk, “Transformative Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture: Scaling Innovation, Strengthening Seed Systems, and Strengthening Climate Resilience,” Dr. Ajay Panchbhai, IRRI’s Regional Breeding Lead - East and South Africa, emphasized the power of South-to-South cooperation in open-pollinated rice varieties (OPVs) seed systems.
The “Global South” is composed of developing economies, including Asia (excluding Israel, Japan, and South Korea), Africa, Latin America, Oceania (excluding Australia and New Zealand), and the Caribbean.
As part of the first panel session, Dr. Panchbhai shared IRRI's efforts in building resilient seed systems across Africa, which often suffer from fragmentation, as it operates with multiple seed sources. In Tanzania, for example, many farmers rely on informal seed systems, depending on farmer-saved seeds of traditional and improved rice varieties, farmer-to-farmer exchange, and local market systems, leading to inconsistent supply and quality.
In response, IRRI focuses on three key strategies: awareness creation, capacity building, and catalyzing partnerships. From trait development to delivery in the breeding chain, Dr. Panchbhai illustrated a successful public-private partnership (PPP) model, where CGIAR centers play a bigger role in the early to middle stages. At the same time, national research systems and private sector actors contribute in later stages.
“We strongly believe that we cannot do everything alone, and it is the same with our national partners and the private sector. Partnership is the only way when we talk about strengthening Africa’s seed systems,” he said.
Dr. Panchbhai identified numerous opportunities within the South-South cooperation, including advancements in agricultural technologies, policy harmonization, private sector investments in the agricultural sector, commodity trading, data sharing and digital innovations, and agricultural education and capacity sharing. He cited the Hybrid Rice Development Consortium (HRDC) as a successful example of this cooperation, showcasing how a diverse group of over 90 members primarily from Asia can drive hybrid rice technology and knowledge exchange.
Ms. Catherine Lang’at, technical manager at the African Seed Trade Association (AfSTA), further supported this success during the second panel session, noting that collaborations through HRDC effectively brought new varieties and technologies to farmers.
Dr. Panchbhai also encouraged partners, particularly the private sector, to continue collaborating with CGIAR, whether in the Global North or South. He also shared new agreements between CGIAR and organizations like the International Seed Federation (ISF) and the Asia Pacific Seed Association (APSA), aimed at enhancing collaborative efforts with AfSTA, APSA, and the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA).
This South-to-South cooperation aims to raise awareness about the benefits of modern varieties, improve access to modern varieties and high-quality seeds, and provide farmers with better seed choices.