The National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) jointly organized a two-day international workshop on “Best Practices in Agricultural Cooperatives in the Global Arena” on December 15–16 at the NAAS, NASC Complex, New Delhi, focusing on empowering cooperatives for sustainable economic growth and rural transformation.
Inaugurating the workshop, Dr. M.L. Jat, Secretary, DARE & Director General, ICAR, emphasized that innovation-driven, market-oriented and technology-enabled cooperatives are crucial for achieving sustainable agriculture, rural prosperity and food security. He underlined the importance of digitalization, capacity building and strong institutional linkages to strengthen farmer collectives.
Experts from the USA, France, Tanzania, Brazil, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Philippines shared global cooperative success stories in governance, financing, digital tools and market integration. Indian institutions including NDDB, IFFCO, NAFED, fisheries, sugar and horticulture cooperatives showcased models enhancing farmers’ incomes and rural livelihoods.
The deliberations concluded that globally aligned best practices, policy support and institutional strengthening are key to building a resilient and inclusive cooperative ecosystem in India.